Doncaster Rovers 0 Harrogate Town 2 - Sulphurites get just rewards as Yorkshire derby rivals are booed off

Late goals from Luke Armstrong and substitute Alex Pattison decided the contest, but the Sulphurites were much the better side and created more than enough chances to have broken the deadlock earlier on in this League Two derby.

The visitors made the brighter start to proceedings, Armstrong seeing an early volley deflected past the upright before Kazeem Olaigbe fired wide.

Luke Molyneux then drew a good save out of Mark Oxley at the other end as Rovers threatened for the first time.

Harrogate created a great chance to break the deadlock in the 13th minute when Levi Sutton’s switch picked out the raiding Jack Muldoon on the right wing. He delivered a pass which found Olaigbe, who shot first time and will have been disappointed not to get the better of Jonathan Mitchell from just 12 yards out.

Doncaster tweaked their system in the minutes that followed and went on to enjoy plenty more possession during the remainder of the first half, without ever really managing to open their visitors up.

Town’s only real forays forward before the interval came on the counter-attack, though ineffective left-winger Danny Grant was guilty of giving the ball away in some promising areas on a number of occasions.

The boos rang out on the sounding of the half-time whistle and the disgruntled home crowd certainly won’t have been appeased by the way Danny Schofield’s men started the second period.

Harrogate looked the hungrier side from the off and went on to boss proceedings while the team in red and white floundered.

Mitchell was forced to make another good stop by Olaigbe, who took aim with another first-time effort following a 52nd-minute corner.

Simon Weaver’s team continued to turn the screw, though a couple of tame shots by Grant that were easily gathered by Mitchell were all they could muster.

Having come through a period where they looked thoroughly second best unscathed, Rovers created their first decent scoring opportunity of the second half in the 72nd minute.

Molyneux got the better of Matty Foulds close to the right-hand byline and delivered a low cross which led to close-range strikes by substitute George Miller and Harrison Biggins being blocked at point-blank range by Anthony O’Connor then the recovering Foulds.

Town would however get the goal which their overall display merited in the 81st minute.

Foulds swung over an inviting free-kick from the right flank and found Armstrong, whose excellent glancing header was superbly tipped on to the inside of his far post by the stretching Mitchell.

Town’s leading marksman was however on hand to pounce on the rebound, bundling it over the goal-line from just a couple of yards out.

And things got even better for the Sulphurites just three minutes later when the impressive Olaigbe picked up a loose ball close to halfway and drove infield down the left-hand channel.

As he approached the edge of the box the on-loan Southampton winger showed great awareness and the perfect weight of pass, slipping the ball right for Pattison, whose powerful low blast was too good for Mitchell.

Doncaster Rovers: Mitchell, Olowu (Lakin 73), Anderson, Nelson, Brown, Biggins, Close, Rowe, Hurst (Barlow 83), Lavery (George Miller 67), Molyneux (Todd Miller 83). Unused substitutes: Long, Seaman, Oram.

Harrogate Town: Oxley, Sims, O'Connor, Eastman, Foulds, Sutton (Thomson 90), Falkingham, Muldoon (Daly 80), Olaigbe, Grant (Pattison 75), Armstrong. Unused substitutes: Mattock, Burrell, Folarin, Giles.

Referee: David Rock (Hertfordshire).