Doncaster Rovers kill the romance with their passing exhibition in FA Cup tie

Then Doncaster Rovers went and spoilt it.

“Sticking it to the man since 2005” one of the many FC United of Manchester banners proudly declared. Not on Saturday night they were not.

There were 97 places in the football pyramid between the two sides and it showed.

Rovers' coaching staff of Darren Moore, Jamie Smith and Paul Gerrard may have had to stay at home because of covid-19, there may have been four changes to the starting line-up but Rovers were ruthlessly, beautifully and spoil-sportingly professional in their giant-killing-killing 5-1 victory over the Northern Premier League side.

“You're 5-1 up against a non-league team, give it a rest,” pleaded a despairing Mancunian in the final ten minutes as caretaker manager Andy Butler continued to issue instructions to his players. But they did not.

A mistake by Reece James – a former Manchester United trainee at a mini-me version of the Red Devils set up to stick two fingers up at the Glazer family – gave the Red Rebels a flicker of hope for all of about three minutes, but it was cruel of him. Four-one up at half-time, Rovers ran out very comfortable winners.

They did still manage to entertain, though, with the quality of their football. The incision of their passing from central midfield to all manner of wide runners was fantastic to watch, if a little painful for those of an FCUM persuasion.

It took 13 minutes of probing from for Doncaster to lead, but as soon as the cracks appeared, the dam soon burst.

The visitors, with Doncaster Rovers Belles manager and substitute for the night Butler running things from the technical area, clutching a notebook and liberally sprinkling cries of encouragement, had already shown their hand by them.

Manchester City loanee Matt Smith was playing as one of the holders in a 4-2-3-1, and was spraying passes in a way which would have delighted Pep Guardiola, assuming he was not watching Little Mix. His fantastic switch of play out to the left started a move which ended with Dan Lavercombe saving from James Coppinger, in the No 10 role Smith prefers.

A minute later Smith's pass released right-back Brad Halliday to pull the ball across for a Fejiri Okenabihrie tap-in.

It was Halliday's pass which created the second, but the theme was the same. Okenabihrie had gone off early but quickly realised and pulled away. The FC defence had stopped, allowing Ben Whiteman free passage to run from deep and score.

Already it felt a bit too straight-forward, and Coppinger's scooped pass in the 29th minute was exhibition stuff, but this was no exhibition game. A minute later the hosts cleared the ball from a corner and as James laboured trying to control the bouncing ball as Doncaster's last man, a few yards into Rebel territory, Regan Linney picked his pocket, ran through and stuck it to the man.

Within seconds Whiteman fired a warning shot wide, then Josh Sims was released down the left for a run which ended in his shot bobbling into the net. Back in your box.

Sims had switched to the right when he manufactured the fourth, Whiteman chesting his pass down for Coppinger to finish.

FC's best hope was probably that Doncaster declare, but they restarted like a team eager for a cricket score, James pulling a shot wide less than 90 seconds into the second half.

Doncaster's fifth was just cruel, Sims' shot going in via a big deflection off centre-back Curtis Jones.

Substitute Cameron John headed against the crossbar from an 81st-minute corner and only seconds later when Coppinger was given a rest and Liam Ravenhill a debut did Butler show a glimmer of sentiment.

“Lads switch on!” he demanded as Michaels Donohue and Fowler pulled late shots wide. A low Whiteman free-kick into the wall and Jason Lokilo's shot off target were the responses.

Their night's work earned Rovers more than £50,000, with more to come in round two. Romance would have to take a back seat.

FC United of Manchester: Lavercombe; Donohue, Jones, Doyle, Dodd; Potts, Simpson (Morris 57), Griffiths, Sinclair-Smith (Fowler 57); Ennis (Cockerline 74), Linney.

Unused substitutes: Brooks, White, Pemberton, Stead.

Doncaster Rovers: Jones; Halliday, Wright, Anderson, James; Whiteman, Smith; Williams (Lokilo 57); Coppinger (Ravenhill 81), Sims (John 66); Okenabirhie.

Unused substitutes: Bursik, Amos, Butler, Blythe.

Referee: T Bramall (Sheffield).

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