Hockey: Doncaster's late show stuns well-fancied Bowdon

A stunning late comeback helped Doncaster's men get their National North Conference season off to a winning start at home to Bowdon.
Tim Shelley (right) was on target for Doncaster.Tim Shelley (right) was on target for Doncaster.
Tim Shelley (right) was on target for Doncaster.

The Manchester side, among the pre-season favourites for the title, led 2-1 with ten minutes remaining.

But strikes from Matt Gibson, Henry Pymm and Josh Oades secured Doncaster a 4-2 victory.

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The hosts were reduced to ten men after 15 minutes when Peter Bartlett was harshly adjudged to have made a dangerous challenge on a Bowdon forward.

Having survived the ten-minute sin-bin period, Bowdon took the lead a minute before half time through Dave Egerton from a swift counter-attack.

Doncaster’s response was immediate and after Josh Pettinger was fouled in the circle Tim Shelley calmed slotted home the resultant penalty stroke.

Midway through the second half Bowdon regained the lead when Ben White scored at the third attempt from a penalty corner after a double save from Ashley Watson.

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But back came Doncaster when Gibson’s deflected penalty corner made it 2-2 and a fine individual goal from Pymm gave the home side the lead for the first time with four minutes to go.

Bowdon pushed forward for an equaliser but another Doncaster counter-attack left Oades unmarked at the back post to wrap up the win.

Doncaster travel to Preston on Saturday in the league and go to Sheffield on Sunday in the first round of the England Hockey Cup.

n Doncaster’s Ladies, boosted by the early return of Sarah Thorpe from Tasmania, battled hard against Timperley but lost 3-1 in the Investec Women’s Cup.

Christy Martin scored for Doncaster.