Doncaster Rovers come from behind to beat Boston United in second pre-season friendly

Joe Ironside’s double and a deflected strike from Tommy Rowe gave Grant McCann’s new-look side their second comeback win from as many matches at the Jakemans Community Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Boston had taken an early lead through Keaton Ward and pulled a goal back late on when Michael Gyasi converted from the penalty spot.

The hosts broke the deadlock with just seven minutes on the clock when Ward found the bottom corner from outside the box after Doncaster failed to clear a throw-in.

A strong Rovers starting XI had been second best in the opening few minutes, but drew level with 18 gone when Ironside met Harrison Biggins' delivery into the box and finished past Cameron Gregory at the second attempt after his initial effort was blocked.

Increasingly dominant, they went ahead eight minutes later when Rowe's low shot from distance took a deflection and found the bottom corner via the post with Gregory wrong-footed.

Just two minutes later Ironside doubled his tally when he met Kyle Hurst's cross into the six-yard box for a tap-in.

More chances came for the visitors before the break as they stamped their quality on proceedings. Hurst in particular was proving a nuisance down the left-hand side.

Eleven substitutions at the break saw a younger Rovers' XI emerge for the second half.

Just 90 seconds after the restart they were almost taught a lesson by the experienced Martin Woods - once of Doncaster and now working as a youth coach in the club's academy - when he struck the crossbar from range after pouncing on a poor clearance from Ben Bottomley.

At the other end Luke Molyneux tested the palms of Boston's second-half stopper Jake Lovelace from a free-kick.

Rovers were again let off the hook in the 70th minute when a Boston free-kick evaded everyone in the box and came back off the post.

Thankfully for the visitors Bottomley was there to collect the loose ball.

The lively Molyneux was unlucky to see another effort saved after single-handedly creating a scoring chance for himself with a wonderful piece of skill to leave Ryan Hand for dust.

Rovers did have the ball in the back of the net when Jack Goodman crossed for Tavonga Kuleya to convert from close range, only for the linesman to raise his flag.

Kuleya should then have done better when he beat the offside trap on 83 minutes but failed to beat Lovelace when one-on-one.

Michael Gyasi pulled a goal back for Boston from the penalty spot in the 89th minute after he was fouled inside the box.

He sent Bottomley the wrong way from 12 yards in what proved to be the game’s final meaningful piece of action.

Doncaster first-half XI: Ian Lawlor, Jamie Sterry, James Maxwell, Joseph Olowu, Richard Wood (captain), George Broadbent, Deji Sotona, Tommy Rowe, Harrison Biggins, Joe Ironside, Kyle Hurst

Doncaster second-half XI: Ben Bottomley, Luke Molyneux, Adam Long, Owen Bailey, Charlie Seaman, Jack Senior, Zain Westbrooke, Bobby Faulkner, Jack Degruchy, Tavonga Kuleya, Jack Goodman

Attendance: 822 (162 away)