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Derby County 0 Doncaster Rovers 1 - Guy stuns Rams
DREAMS, as Doncaster Rovers proved so spectacularly last season, do sometimes come true in football. Just ask John Ryan.
It was the Doncaster chairman who revealed to the Yorkshire Post last January the vision that had come to him one night while asleep.
The dream featured his beloved Rovers walking out at Wembley five months later to contest the League One play-off final against Yorkshire rivals, Leeds United. Not only that, but Ryan's reverie saw the Elland Road club beaten 2-1 as their south Yorkshire rivals ended a 50-year exile from the second tier.
Ryan's scoreline prediction may have been slightly out, but otherwise his fantasy proved prophetic as one of the truly great revivals in modern day football continued courtesy of James Hayter's second-half winner at Wembley.
Ten years on from being as low as a football club could possibly be without going under, Doncaster were suddenly back in the big time – a fact that was underlined during the summer when the fixtures computer handed Sean O'Driscoll's men an opening day trip to newly-relegated Derby County.
Pride Park seemed an entirely fitting venue for a club who had rediscovered its self-esteem.
And so it proved as, 11 weeks on from that Wembley triumph, Doncaster chief Ryan was back in dreamland as his Championship newboys claimed a fully deserved victory.
Lewis Guy may have netted the only goal just before the hour mark to silence a capacity Pride Park crowd, but it was the manner of the visitors' performance that most pleased Ryan and the ecstatic travelling army of 3,000 fans.
The Rams, featuring seven debutants, were out-played to such an extent that if Andy D'Urso had played 60 minutes of stoppage time at the end of the game as opposed to six, it is unlikely that an equaliser would have materialised.
The Doncaster manager was rightly proud of his players after the final whistle, though quick to stress that no-one should get carried away by winning one game.
O'Driscoll said: "It can only be called a good start after 10 games, not 90 minutes. We have to play well in 46 games and then what will be, will be.
"But the players are up for a challenge. They think they are Championship players, we just have to give them their heads and let them prove it."
On the evidence of the opening day, the Rovers players will not look out of place in the second tier.
Against a club who were two divisions higher last season, they played some delightful football that the home side simply could not match.
Doncaster frustrated the Rams by keeping possession and stroking the ball around with confidence, one second-half move featuring 19 consecutive passes being so impressive that it drew cries of 'Ole!' from the visiting fans.
Perhaps the most impressive feature of their play, though, was the manner in which the Rovers players stayed cool when under pressure.
This was never better illustrated than in the 72nd minute when four opponents were closing in on defensive duo Gareth Roberts and Sam Hird near the left-hand touchline.
The situation smacked of danger, but both stayed calm and simply played their way out of trouble with some lovely inter-play that drew a deserved round of applause from the crowd.
As well as the visitors played, however, they did benefit from two glaring misses by the Rams in the opening half hour.
First, a free-kick from the excellent Kris Commons on 15 minutes picked out Martin Albrechtsen unmarked at the far post only for the defender to inexplicably head wide from close range. Then, 11 minutes later, former Leeds and Sheffield United striker Rob Hulse should have done better than strike a post after quick thinking from both Commons and Tyrone Mears down the right flank.
Paul Jewell suggested after the game that had either of those two chances been taken, the game would have been very different.
It was difficult to argue with the former Bradford manager as Rovers visibly grew in confidence as the first half wore on with the scores level, Brian Stock creating an excellent chance for Guy just after the half hour only for the Rovers striker to shoot weakly into the arms of Roy Carroll.
It was a major let-off for the home side, but a temporary one with the visitors going ahead on 59 minutes after a rolled pass from James O'Connor on the right flank was cleverly dummied by James Hayter.
Had the Rovers man touched the ball then Guy would have been offside when controlling the ball, but instead he was afforded sufficient space to roll a shot past Carroll and into the bottom corner of the net.
There was no way back for Derby and come the final whistle, it was not just Ryan who was dreaming about what may lay ahead this season but also 3,000 ecstatic Doncaster fans.
Derby County: Carroll; Mears, Stubbs (Connolly 57), Albrechtsen, McEveley; Pereplotkins (Davies 64), Green, Kazmierczak (Savage 53), Commons; Hulse, Ellington. Unused substitutes: Bywater, Villa.
Doncaster Rovers: Sullivan; O' Connor, Mills, Hird, Roberts; Coppinger (Van Neiuwstadt 88), Stock, Wellens; Guy (Chamber 73), Hayter (Woods 85), Taylor. Unused substitutes: Spicer, Elliott.
Referee: A D'Urso (Essex).MATCH FOCUS
Hero: Brian Stock
A hero for much of last season but can he go on and repeat the form in the Championship? On this display, yes he can. He was a vital barrier in front of the back four, ensuring none of Rob Hulse's knockdowns could be picked up by a Derby team-mate.
Villian: Robbie Savage
Football's pantomime villain was guilty of an awful challenge on Gareth Taylor which did him no favours in the popularity stakes with the traveling Doncaster supporters.
Key moment
59th minute: James Hayter's dummy allows Lewis Guy to latch on to James O'Connor's pass and seal the win.
Ref watch
Andy D'Urso: Turned down what looked a clear Rovers penalty early on but otherwise had a decent game.
Verdict
A fully deserved victory for Rovers suggests the club have what it takes to prosper at this level. It is important, however, that no-one gets carried away.
Next game
Tomorrow, Notts County, Meadow Lane, Carling Cup first round.
Quote of the day
It can only be called a good start after 10 games, not 90 minutes. We have to play well in 46 games and then what will be, will be. These players are up for the challenge.
– Rovers boss Sean O'Driscoll.
Big match talking points from Pride Park
Doncaster winning at Derby must have been the result of the opening day?
It was. Sheffield Wednesday's 4-1 thrashing of Burnley will have bolstered morale at Hillsborough after another summer of uncertainty in the boardroom, but it cannot compare with this win. Against a Derby side who are expected to be among the promotion challengers, Rovers were simply magnificent.
They must have been. How did they pull off such a great win?
By sticking to what they do best – playing some very good football.
In contrast to Derby who had seven debutants, Rovers stuck with the same team – plus Matt Mills, who has joined Doncaster on a permanent basis after being on loan last term – that did so well in getting the club out of League One. They also, it has to be said, caught Derby at a good time as the home side looked very disjointed – in a month's time, expect the Rams to be up near the top of the table with manager Paul Jewell being an expert in getting clubs promoted to the Premier League.
Enough about Derby, what can Doncaster fans look forward to this season?
As good as this win was, it is important that everyone connected with Rovers does not get too carried away. And that includes the fans. Bristol City's success in coming within a game of reaching the Premier League just 12 months after leaving League One has led to unrealistic expectations about what a newly-promoted club can achieve in the second tier. It should also be remembered what happened to the two clubs who were promoted with the Robins in 2006-07 – Scunthorpe went straight back down and Blackpool only stayed up on the final day of last season.
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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