Promotion push Dealt a blow
COUNTY ............................ 0 DONCASTER ROVERS ... 0
THE Hatters lost further ground in the automatic promotion race over the weekend, as Doncaster Rovers stifled Dave Challinor’s side to earn a point via a goalless draw at a sold-out Edgeley Park on Saturday afternoon.
County returned to home comforts after a disappointing 1-0 defeat at Barrow a week prior which had left Challinor “furious” with his side – and this stalemate will have done little to cheer the Hatters boss.
The congested nature of the League Two promotion picture meant that a point against the Yorkshire outfit saw County drop to seventh, occupying the final play-off place and five points off the top three.
Predictably, after Challinor’s obvious disdain for his side’s performance at Holker Street seven days earlier, changes were made for the hosts – with talismanic defender Fraser Horsfall the most noteworthy recall.
Horsfall was joined in his return from injury by Antoni Sarcevic, whilst Ryan Rydel and midfielder Jacob Davenport both started. Neill Byrne, Callum Camps, Myles Hippolyte and Ryan Croasdale all dropped to the bench.
Club captain Paddy Madden also earned a place on the bench after a five-game absence through a training ground injury.
Wing-back Kyle Knoyle, who had only joined County from Doncaster in the January transfer window, started in lively fashion, firing the first attempt of the day goalwards and producing the stop from Jonathan Mitchell in the Rovers goal after just fifteen seconds.
Doncaster had won the toss and opted to turn The Hatters around at kick-off, seeing County kick towards the packed out Cheadle End in the first half – and that appeared to be set to backfire, with the hosts’ energetic start producing a number of good opportunities.
Knoyle crossed this time for Rydel to leap well and produce a fine stop by Mitchell, with the rebound planted straight at the Rovers ‘keeper by Rydel himself.
Rydel then turned provider as his cross-shot moments later fell into the path of Will Collar, who unusually failed to hit the target by prodding a closerange effort wide of Mitchell’s goal.
Attempts were then to remain largely at a premium until the first half’s dying minutes, when a Brown free-kick was headed by Charlie Lakin into the arms of Ben Hinchliffe, and Knoyle’s in-swinging, added-time corner from the left was punched away by Mitchell.
The best chance of the day came and went just five minutes into the second half, when Chris Hussey’s cross was firmly met by Kyle Wootton and nodded into the bottom corner, only for the busy Mitchell to produce a stunning save low to his right.
At the other end, former Hatter Tommy Rowe fired well beyond the right post, before Hussey bravely blocked a well-struck shot from Harrison Biggins which looked to be heading in.
Just after the hourmark, Davenport’s firsttime strike, following a short corner from Knoyle on the left, was deflected over by Brown.
And, less than five minutes after his introduction, substitute Hippolyte fired narrowly over as County looked in vain to turn the screw.
As the contest approached its end, the visitors had, in truth, done enough to earn a battling point on the road, further stifling County by successfully seeing out the four additional minutes with no drama.
After that run of five successive victories in February, it’s now two frustrating outings in succession for Challinor’s men with just one point from the last two fixtures.
The play-off picture does remain wide open with a number of sides staking a claim for a spot in the end of season lottery – and for County, the opportunity to close the gap to the top three once again would come around on Tuesday evening (as the Express went to print).
The visit of resurgent Gillingham to Edgeley Park that night is set to be followed by the long trip to Colchester United this coming Saturday.