Doncaster Rovers 0 Ipswich Town 1: Rovers show renewed heart but lack quality in another home loss

AFTER Doncaster Rovers' sorry six-goal defeat at Portman Road in September, a crest-fallen Richie Wellens apologised for a lifeless Rovers’ display which short-changed 165 visiting supporters - and promised that those fans would be refunded.

His permanent replacement in Gary McSheffrey could at least sleep easier in his bed knowing that those who represented him in came off with sweat-drenched jerseys in the return fixture if nothing else.

It was something - more especially as Rovers' plucky performance arrived a week on from another desperate episode in their season against the old enemy in Rotherham United.

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Rock-bottom Rovers picked themselves up off the floor in exhilarating and unexpected fashion at Sunderland last weekend.

Doncaster Rovers striker Reo Griffiths competes with Ipswich Town rival Janoi Donacien. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.Doncaster Rovers striker Reo Griffiths competes with Ipswich Town rival Janoi Donacien. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.
Doncaster Rovers striker Reo Griffiths competes with Ipswich Town rival Janoi Donacien. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.

But in any successful relegation fight, the trick is backing it up and Doncaster have yet to win back-to-back league games in this hard campaign. A damning statistic, for sure and there was a chasm in quality here.

Doncaster have also now lost their last six matches at the Keepmoat Stadium and while they displayed heart here, they did not overly trouble Ipswich who should have won much more comfortably than the scoreline suggested on a night when they were afforded 68 per cent of possession.

After a demoralising derby performance seven days earlier, the sight of Rovers competing much better on home soil which has been parched of late in terms of results was at least a small blessing.

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Heart and effort will not save them, that said, on a night when they huffed and puffed, but mustered no shot on target and lacked in the creative department.

On the balance of play, they could not quibble, even if the concession was disappointing.

Ipswich had most of the limited first-half moments on show and persevered and got their reward eventually.

It came on 39 minutes when Macauley Bonne, who posed issues in the air, got in between Joseph Olowu and Ben Jackson after Conor Chaplin headed on Dominic Thompson’s left-wing cross.

It was Olowu's only error on the night and it was a shame.

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Jonathan Mitchell flung himself to his right to keep out Bonne’s header, but no red jersey was policing Tyreeq Bakinson, who gobbled up the rebound for the only goal of the game.

Earlier, Bonne had put two presentable headed opportunities wide, but in the main, aside with that costly late aberration, Rovers’ defensive aptitude was certainly improved on their meek efforts against Rotherham.

Going forward, Charlie Seaman provided a spark at times and set up one early chance for Reo Griffiths, which flew wide, while Matt Smith and Tommy Rowe were neat and tidy in the middle.

Given the fact that Rovers have only scored more than one home league goal in two matches so far this term - and are the second lowest scorers in front of their own supporters - the main onus, understandably, was trying to maintain order in a defensive sense and perhaps nick something.

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It made Bakinson’s goal all the more frustrating against an Ipswich side who possessed non-stop industry in the shape of ex-Barnsley striker Chaplin and calmness in the engine room in former Sheffield United schemer Lee Evans.

There was no panic and Town are starting to show the right consistency again under Kieran McKenna, with his former Old Trafford cohorts in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick also both in attendance at the Eco-Power Stadium to provide a bit of moral support.

What Rovers could have done without was the sight of their midfield leader in Rowe and a centre-half in Ro-Shaun Williams exit the fray at half-time due to injury.

It has been that sort of season for Rovers and few sides have had as much disruption than them in 2021-22.

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Kyle Knoyle, very much a right-back, was thrust into the heart of defence, while Dan Gardner replaced Rowe.

Admirably, home diehards kept with a fresh-faced young line-up, which was encouraging. The effort was there, if not necessarily the quality, but you have to start somewhere.

Ipswich’s inability to nail the game’s outcome with a second goal also maintained the interest levels.

Without the sizeable bulk of Williams in his vicinity, Bonne was always likely to remain interested and he went close to sealing it with a header from Bersant Celina’s fine cross, which was tipped over by Mitchell.

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With Rowe absent in the middle ground, the visitors assumed a level of dominance with the hosts forced to hang in and somehow wait for something.

Janoi Donacien then headed over before substitute James Norwood’s aim was wild at the near post. It was unnecessarily nervy for Ipswich, but one goal was ultimately enough against a relegation-haunted side for the second straight game.

Doncaster Rovers: Mitchell; Younger, Williams (Knoyle 45), Olowu, B Jackson; Smith, Rowe (Gardner 45); Seaman (Barlow 85), Martin, Griffiths; Odubeko. Substitutes unused: Jones, Clayton, Dodoo, Agard.

Ipswich Town: Walton; Donacien, Woolfenden, Edmundson; Burns, Evans, Bakinson (El Mizouni 76), Thompson; Celina; Chaplin (Aluko 87), Bonne (Norwood 76). Substitutes unused: Hladky, K Jackson, Vincent-Young, Burgess.

Referee: O Yates (Staffordshire).