Doncaster Rovers 5 Chesterfield 1: Billy Sharp silences Spireites' taunts and Tottenham Hotspur loanee excels in EFL Trophy win

Chesterfield’s hardy gathering of supporters made the mistake of doing just that early on at the Eco-Power Stadium and the Doncaster Rovers veteran promptly did what he has done for two decades and rose to the sport and silenced them.

A belter of a strike from distance flew past Spireites keeper Ryan Boot and Sharp hadn’t forgotten. He turned to the contingent of visiting fans and put a finger to his lips and preached quiet.

It was a sweet moment to warm up home followers among the sort of pre-Christmas midweek crowd you’d expect at this time of year.

Those who came will be glad they did and as for Sharp? Well, he will miss all this when he finally hangs up his boots; forget the smallish crowd, he was born for this sort of thing.

It was Sharp’s first goal in this particular competition in its many, many, many guises for almost exactly two decades since scoring for Scunthorpe United. There was more to come.

He added a fabulous second and claimed a third.

His ‘hat-trick’ goal was credited to Luke Molyneux, but Sharp claimed it all night long, with his effort being on target. He shoved the ball up his jumper as a goal celebration in any case.

His last hat-trick? Well, that came Stateside for LA Galaxy against Minnesota United in the autumn 2023.

As for on these shores? Try Feburary 2019 for Sheffield United at Villa Park.

His first was the best. A fun episode in a fun half for Rovers, who put this tie to bed with just 31 minutes on the clock with two further goals.

Tottenham Hotspur loanee Damola Ajayi - who has had a testing time of it so far in South Yorkshire, it’s fair to say - was entitled to feel a bit better about himself by the interval.

He cut inside from the right on 19 minutes, four minutes after Sharp’s sublime effort, and fired home with a rasping low drive to register just his second goal in Rovers colours - and first at the Eco-Power.

The teenager then provided a magnificent encore.

His poise and exquisite pass to set up Jack Senior for the third was perfection.

Without a goal in his career in the EFL to date, the ‘defender’s defender’ provided the finishing touch to what Ajayi’s class assist deserved, having been served up on a plate.

Sharp wasn’t quite finished either.

Shortly after the visitors puled a goal back in the final quarter, he announced himself once more.

His swivel and turn clinical half-volley was clinical and classic Sharp. Six for the season now and you can’t keep a good man down.

Cup competitions have been pretty good for Rovers so far this season, let’s be honest.

Their record stood up with the best from lower-league circles in 2025-26 - with six wins from their seven matches prior to Tuesday night - with the only ‘blemish’ coming in an EFL Cup elimination at the mighty Spurs. Make that seven from eight.

As has been his wont in non-league affairs, Grant McCann made a raft of changes - ten in total - with Thimothee Lo-Tutala being the only player who started against Peterborough at the weekend.

It was also all change for his opposite number Paul Cook. He made nine from Saturday, having unapologetically stressed that Saturday’s ‘part deux’ meeting between these two old rivals was where his main priority lay this week.

Who knows whether it was a bit of kidology, but one thing is sure, reaching the third round of the FA Cup is a bit more lucrative than making the last 16 of the EFL Trophy - a booty of £79,500 is the prize for second-round winners compared to £20,000 on offer to those who progress in the Trophy.

In a footballing sense, Rovers, with others such as Robbie Gotts coming to the party, were at least quids-in and their first-half performance was the polar opposite of their dreadful offering in the opening half against Bradford City in their previous appearance in this competition.

Chesterfield – who plundered an aggregate of eight goals in two victories over Rovers last season - sent for some senior reinforcements at the break.

For Rovers – and most definitely for McCann – it was about maintaining the same level of intensity and quality, allied to a bit of ruthlessness.

The visitors stemmed the tide of sorts before the hosts brought on Luke Molyneux and Jordan Gibson to give them something else to think about.

In the event, it was Chesterfield who did with substitute Lee Bonis getting around the back of Sean Grehan to head home from Vontae Daley-Campbell’s right-wing cross, with McCann entitled to be a bit irked at the failure to record a clean sheet to add to the night.

Sharp’s strike soon after will have restored his spirits.

With progression rubber-stamped, teenage keeper Jacob Bryant was handed a late debut from the bench for the hosts.

The night, fittingly, ended with Sharp firing in a deflected shot late on following Gibson’s pass. Seven for the season now, just warming up.