Doncaster Rovers 3 Hull City 3: Coppinger writes the script

The pre-match preliminaries stated that the team with the joint best goals for record on home soil in League One were hosting a rival with the best goals against tally on their travels in the division..

Often when facts like that are put out in the open, it is the precursor to a dull, sterile spectacle devoid of goals. It’s called Sod’s law.

On this occasion, it lived up to its billing.

And then up popped club legend James Coppinger to grab the headlines for the umpteenth time in his Rovers career to grab a magnificent equaliser deep in stoppage-time.

It was the final act of an extraordinary game and finale during an epic amount of added on time after an injury sustained by George Honeyman, who was stretchered off.

In his 40th year, Coppinger, on as a late substitute, scored a brilliant free-kick. Rovers were playing in a special commemorative gold third kit designed by the Rovers veteran and his young sons.

It was a golden moment from Rovers golden boy, who has still got it.

Earlier, it was Coppinger’s former team-mate Mallik Wilks who had announced himself.

On fertile ground that he knows well, Wilks tucked in and helped himself to a brace of first half goals inside five minutes to take his weekly haul to an outstanding five.

The downside to a dream week arrived midweek through the second half when he was penalised for catching Josh Sims in the box and Omar Bogle notched his first goal in Rovers colours to get the hosts back in it at 3-2.

But Wilks’ indiscretion did not look like coming at the cost of victory, until Coppinger intervenied.

Earlier, much earlier, Rovers paid the price for some dreadful first-half concessions - and all this against a side led by their former manager Grant McCann on his first return to the Keepmoat Stadium.

The Hull head coach received a booking in the second half after voicing his anger at a decision, although there were obviously no home supporters - still sore at the manner of his departure to East Yorkshire - to bait him.

At half-time, the watching Rovers followers were entitled to be rather more aggrieved with their side’s wretched defending which saw them concede three goals from first-half crosses - and look like conceding every time a ball was thrown into the box.

The chargesheet is incriminating. It took Rovers’ concession of headed goals inside a week to a damning seven in three matches.

Admittedly, there was quality from Hull in all three deliveries, but Darren Moore - a defensive leader of stature in his playing days - will have been rightly furious.

The first came 19 minutes in when a brilliant whipped in free-kick from the right from Callum Elder was attacked by the unmarked Wilks to head home.

His second four minutes later was also deadly. This time, Greg Docherty set up a sublime, if wind-assisted centre and it was met by a lovely glancing header to make it 2-0.

Rovers - who went close when Bogle’s header was cleared off the line by Josh Magennis - hauled themselves back in it with a blistering drive from Matty James.

To concede a third goal within five minutes was reprehensible with a dereliction of duty allowing Jacob Greaves to meet Honeyman’s excellent inswinging corner to nod in.

It could have been more for Hull, with Rovers indebted to two fantastic blocks from returning captain Tom Anderson to deny Docherty.

By contrast, the second half was tamer, but there was still controversy after referee Charles Breakspear was unmoved following two big handball appeals for a home penalty, with Rovers players incensed when a spotkick was not awarded when Sims’s shot hit Honeyman and more fury moments after with another perceived offence in the Hull box.

They did eventually get their penalty to set up an intriguing finale on a bit of a madcap, but thoroughly entertaining afternoon.

It was not the day for defences in truth.

A dodgy moment from Elliot Balcombe - who did not cover himself in the glory in the way he commands his area - was almost exposed by Keane Lewis-Potter, whose lob hit the post in a rare Hull foray in the second period.

A breathless game then took another twist as Wilks’s eventful afternoon continued after he was penalised, with Bogle sending Matt Ingram the wrong way to set up a grandstand finale.

Suddenly, it was Hull who were looking susceptible defensively with Rovers finding some set-piece quality themselves.

Cue Coppinger.

Doncaster Rovers: Balcombe; Halliday, Wright, Anderson; James; Smith (Robertson 86), Gomes (Bostock 45); Taylor, Richards (Coppinger 86), Sims (Lokilo 76); Bogle. Substitutes unused: L Jones, Butler, John.

Hull City: Ingram; Coyle, Burke, Greaves, Elder; Honeyman, A Jones, Docherty (Slater 56); Wilks (Emmanuel 81), Magennis (Whyte 69), Lewis-Potter. Substitutes unused: Long, Scott, McLoughlin, Crowley.

Referee: C Breakspear (Surrey).