Doncaster Rovers 0 Crystal Palace 0: Value of Rovers’ gamble unclear after nervy draw

Unfortunately for Ryan, even the scrapping of admission prices for this crucial battle of the basement with Crystal Palace was unable to bring Rovers a victory.

Still, a goalless draw and a point at least keeps Rovers five points clear of the relegation zone and above Palace in the table with three more games to play.

And, significantly for South Yorkshire, the result means bottom-of- the-table Sheffield United cannot be relegated today – even if they lose at home to Bristol City.

Of course, that may just be delaying the inevitable.

Rovers are now enjoying a third season back in the Championship – after an absence of 50 years – and this is the first time they have been in trouble.

But manager Sean O’Driscoll condemned the attitude of his players after losing at Hull City last weekend – saying only three looked up for the relegation scrap.

Ryan scrapped admission charges in a bid to guarantee a full house against Palace and over 8,000 supporters took advantage of the offer – lifting the attendance to 14,312.

It was not the biggest gate of the season at the Keepmoat but the biggest since the club sat seventh in the table five months ago.

The move cost around £100,000 in lost revenue but relegation to League One would cost the club £3m – so it was definitely a gamble worth taking.

Ryan and his fellow directors conducted a pre-match lap of the pitch, waving the same flags given away to fans, and urging them to turn up the volume.

Ryan even turned his back on a seat in the director’s box to watch the first 45 minutes from the back of the Polypipe Stand.

Surrounded by a set of bare- chested youths who were banging drums, it was quite a contrast to being in a lounge full of double- breasted suits banging cutlery.

Rovers started the game looking nervously over their shoulders after a disastrous run of just one win in their last 20 games.

Palace needed a victory to leap-frog their hosts in the table and allay fears of another nailbiting finish to their season.

Only 12 months ago, Palace were involved in a final day shoot out in another corner of South Yorkshire – and secured the point they needed to survive at Hillsborough and condemn Sheffield Wednesday to the drop instead.

On-loan defender Matthew Kilgallon and striker James Hayter both dropped to the Rovers bench with Mustapha Dumbuya returning to the back four and Jason Euell, on loan from Blackpool, in attack.

Palace manager Dougie Freedman also made two changes with Wilfred Zaha and Pablo Counago replacing the former Tottenham striker Steffen Iverson and the injured James Vaughan.

It took Rovers over 15 minutes to get to grips with the pace of Palace’s football but, once they had, they dominated the rest of the first half.

Palace rarely threatened at the opposite end before the interval as Rovers asked the questions and mounted prolonged pressure.

Referee Colin Webster ignored shouts for a penalty when John Oster’s shot appeared to strike Palace defender Nathaniel Clyne on the arm.

The majority of Rovers set-pieces were a disappointment with a succession of corners going begging and free-kicks wasted.

Although Rovers had filled the stadium with fans on freebies, Palace’s paying support of 1,557 still generated greater noise.

Maybe that was down to a lack of familiarity with the environment as there was certainly no reason to be discouraged by the energy of the game.

Striker Euell worked tirelessly as a lone frontman for Rovers, holding up the ball well, and going close on a number of occasions.

Rovers started the second half on the charge with the former Wimbledon man figuring prominently.

Palace held firm and gradually started to find holes in the Rovers rearguard.

There would be some heart-stopping moments for the home crowd before the game reached its conclusion.

Darren Ambrose brought a flying save from Gary Woods after good work by Counago and Neil Danns struck the foot of the post after being set up by substitute Iversen.

The loss of the impressive Dumbuya with a hamstring injury in the final stages was another concern but Rovers held on for a share of the spoils.

Afterwards, Rovers manager O’Driscoll said: “We fought like a team that wanted to stay in the division although I felt there was something missing.

“We did not play as well as we did against Hull (a 3-1 defeat).

“But our encouragement and demand of each other was good, although I would have no complaints if Palace had nicked a goal.”

[email protected]

Doncaster Rovers: Woods; O’Connor, Thomas, Friend, Dumbuya (Martis 79); Stock; Coppinger (Shiels 88), Oster, Gillett, Moussa (Hayter 73); Euell. Unused substitutes: Sullivan, Wilson, Mason, Kilgallon.

Crystal Palace: Speroni; Clyne, McCarthy, Gardner, Moxey; Dikgocoa, Agustein; Ambrose Danns, Zaha (Cadogan 90); Counago ( Iverson 68). Unused substitutes: Davis, Garvan, Price, Easter, Wrigh,.

Referee: CH Webster (Tyne and Wear).