REDS V DONCASTER ROVERS - LIVE FROM OAKWELL!!! LISTEN FOR FREE HERE!!!
BARNSLEY 0
DONCASTER ROVERS 1 (Coppinger 35)
JAMES Coppinger's well-taken goal midway through the first half was the difference at the break after a 45 minutes where neither side really established a foothold in the game.
With the South Yorkshire pride and local bragging rights at stake, Reds boss Mark Robins made changes to his starting eleven following back-to-back away defeats at Ipswich Town and Bristol City. With the play offs still an outside possibility, the Reds needed to get back to winning ways with eight matches remaining starting with today's clash with Doncaster Rovers and it meant a return to the side for Darren Moore, Anderson, Adam Hammill and Andy Gray. Out went Bobby Hassell, Emil Hallfredsson, Jon Macken and Daniel Bogdanovic.
The Reds were on the front foot from the very first whistle as Hammill's bursting run caught out Shelton Martis but the winger's cross was just in front of Gray in the centre. It was a positive start from the men in red.
Rovers almost benefited from a controversial decision on five minutes as Luke Potter appeared to knock the ball out of play off James Chambers only for the assistant to award a corner. James Coppinger's centre was well worked but Mark Wilson could not find the target on the volley from the edge of the box.
A couple of early corners put the Reds under pressure as Doncaster found their feet although it was the home side who went closest to breaking the deadlock on ten minutes as Ryan Shotton's long throw was met by Gray but the striker glanced a difficult header wide of the target.
Hammill was next to try his luck on 25 minutes as he cut in onto Nathan Doyle's pass but the winger's effort flew well over the bar.
Billy Sharp then enraged the home support on 28 minutes with a dive under the slightest of shoulder charges from Stephen Foster. The referee rightly waved away his appeals for a penalty.
Reds boss Robins made his first change a minute later with Bogdanovic replacing Filipe Teixeira.
Sharp again could have picked up a booking on the half hour for a cynical kick out at Moore after the Reds defender had easily nicked the ball away. The Sheffield United striker was not endearing himself to the home support. Sharp was finally booked seconds later for kicking the ball away after being flagged offside.
Bogdanovic fired a warning shot at Rovers on 31 minutes after breaking onto Gray's flick but the striker was beaten by the angle and his effort flew well over. The Maltese striker was a little lucky to escape a caution himself seconds later after tripping Coppinger on half way.
Rovers snatched the lead on 35 minutes after Coppinger took on Jay Emmanuel-Thomas' short corner curled a low shot past an unsighted Luke Steele as the Reds stood off.
The Reds responded well and Gray earned a decent looking free kick on 37 minutes after being barged in the back by Martis. Hammill took the kick but his effort was straight at Neil Sullivan.
The Reds were two inches away from an equalise on 45 minutes as Anderson rose highest to meet Hammill's corner and his header smacked the crossbar before bouncing over.
BARNSLEY: Steele, Shotton, Foster, Moore, Potter, Teixeira (Bogdanovic 28), Doyle, Colace, Hammill, Anderson, Gray.
Subs: Preece, Hume, Hallfredsson, Butterfield, Macken, Thompson.
DONCASTER ROVERS: Sullivan, O'Connor, Roberts, Sharp, Chambers, Hayter, Wilson, Oster, Coppinger, Martis, Emmanuel-Thomas.
Subs: Smith, McDaid, Woods, Sheils, Lockwood, Mutch, Hird.
REFEREE
Darren Deadman (Cambridgeshire)
ASSISTANT REFEREES
Dave McCallum (Tyne & Wear) and Kevin Mattocks (Lancashire)
FOURTH OFFICIAL
Darren Handley (Lancashire)
REDS V DONCASTER ROVERS - LIVE FROM OAKWELL!!! LISTEN FOR FREE HERE!!!
Report by Rob Knowles
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