| Honestly, the end to the game was laughable. Fair enough, they scored a golden goal winner against what for them is a big team. But the reactions suggested that they had just qualified for Europe there and then. Hundreds of fans swarmed onto the pitch as the goal went in. This was obviously the biggest amount of excitement that the Doncaster fans have had since dropping out the league. Success starved? We've got nothing on these lot. If this is what the conference does to you, then please never let it happen to us.
Sour grapes? Far from it. The 200 or so Dale fans who were shivering behind the goal, or in the main stand were there out of loyalty than anything else. There appeared to be very little disappointment as the winning goal, with much laughter at the scenes that were out on the pitch, as the Doncaster fans partied like it was £19.99 a sheep!
The match itself? What can you say. At times it was laughable, as Dale produced on of their most disappointing displays under Parkin. At times during the first half, you actually wondered whether we really wanted to progress into the second round, as Dale missed some of the most ridiculous chances you have ever seen. Dale could have been five or six nil up in the first half, but failed to take the chances which could have filled a whole Nick Hancock Clips video all on their own.
Dale went into the side with a couple of changes from the side that beat Blackpool on Saturday. Manager Steve Parkin rested both Lee Todd and Tony Ford for this game, bringing in Sean McAuley for his first game of the season, and recalling younger winger Phil Hadland in place of the league's oldest player. There wasn't the expected recall of Graham Lancashire, meaning that Tony Ellis retained his place up front alongside Clive Platt.
In the Doncaster side, there were none of the familiar names of Dean Walling or Carl Alford, though they did have former Mullet wearer Barry Richardson in the sticks, providing a fair bit of banter with those Dale fans risking the elements behind the goal.
The game kicked off just as the pre-match rain storms were ending, meaning that the surface of the pitch was pretty slippy. This seemed to help Dale's passing game, against a Doncaster side, which also tried their best to play football along the deck.
Dale had by far the majority of the chances, but Doncaster had the first opportunity to take the lead, when they had a free header from within the six yard box, as the Dale markers went astray. It was dead central in the six yard box, but the header went so far wide, it almost went for a throw in.
Most of Dale's efforts were long range low drives which Richardson seem to deal with fairly comfortably, but Dale had a spot of good fortune when Clive Platt was felled in the box by defender Tim Ryan. Up stepped Gary Jones, who made up for his saved penalty by firing it low and into the corner giving ex Lincoln keeper Richardson no chance to put Dale in front.
After this Dale had enough chances to take them into the Northern Semi Final there and then. Clive Platt had the first opportuntity but he saw his header cleared off the line (tho' it looked over!) theatrically by defender Marples.
Then came the moment that Tony Ellis will have nightmares about for the rest of his playing career. Dale hit the woodwork three times in one move. A header came in beating Richardson, but it hit the woodwork coming back to Ellis who was no more than two yards away. Ellis got a touch but with what was practically an open goal, he hit it onto the same post. Fortunately it came back straight to him, but with the close attention of a defender, he did exactly the same thing again and this time it was cleared to safety!
And so it was, that straight from this golden chance, Doncaster went straight up the other end of the field and scored. They got a decent move down the right hand side, and a cross was headed home by the diminutive Mike Turner giving Neil Edwards, on his thirtieth birthday, no chance at all with just five minutes to go in the half.
However, all was not lost, as Dale almost regained their lead within seconds, when Mickey Oliver, had a one on one with Richardson as they both charged down a loose ball. The players collided, with the ball off spinning towards the goal, but by the time Oliver pirouetted and continued his move to tap the ball in, a defender had recovered.
The half time stalemate brought little worries, as if Dale could have at least half the chances they did in the first half, then there would be no problem. Unfortunately, Dale were never really in the game in the second half.
It was a pretty dismal half, with little quality on offer from either side, but the home side always looked the more livelier of the two, and could have scored more than just the one that they did.
They took the lead fifteen minutes into the second half, when they awarded a penalty, when Donny striker Whitman went down in the box, after a challenge by Mark Monington. The fact that he took longer to go down than we have been in the bottom division did nothing to persuade referee Ryan from evening up the penalty count. Dave Penney had no problems finishing off the spot kick to give Rovers the lead.
After, that it was pretty uninspiring stuff, with Dale not looking capable of getting back into the match. Subs were made, with Clive Platt took off to give Graham Lancashire a run out. It appeared like Platt was being rested for this weekend's match with Plymouth.
With twenty minutes to go, Doncaster brought on sub Neil Campbell, who had quite an impact on the remaining part of the match. He came on and was quite possibly one of the worst players on the pitch all night long. Every time the ball got near him, he seemed to foul someone and looked incapable of doing otherwise. Indeed, the ref thought so, cos it to the stage where the ref blew his whistle every time he got close to the action.
With time running out, and many of the Dale fans wanting to join in the whistling of the Doncaster fans, the unthinkable happened - Dale grabbed an equaliser. It must have been four minutes into the two minutes that we allotted for added on time (Donny took 2 mins taking a free kick). Simon Davies took a free kick, which went towards the back post, and striker Campbell got his head on it, and turned it into the back post with what was the last head of the game.
However, everything was forgotten by the home fans, as he won the game when he fired home two minutes into extra time to settle the tie, with the golden goal (gold in the LDV Trophy? Copper Plated goal would be much more appropriate). Cue celebrations not seen in Doncaster since it was announced Emmerdale was going five days a week! The fans are still probably celebrating on the pitch now sure was their delight!
As for Dale, well no one's too bothered about being out of this competition are they?
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