Doncaster Rovers end eight-year wait as patience eventually pays off against Accrington Stanley
They say good things come to those who wait.
For three-quarters of this Carabao Cup second round tie, Doncaster Rovers laboured against lower-league opposition but their quality eventually bubbled to the surface as they overcame gritty Accrington Stanley 2-0. Late goals from Owen Bailey and Ben Close proved the difference against a team who ended the game with ten men after Josh Woods' red card.
In truth, that dismissal was probably the game's turning point as Rovers turned the screw with the man advantage against tiring opposition.
Rovers last reached the third round of this competition eight years ago and this tie - against a team sitting fourth-bottom in League Two - represented a golden chance to end that long wait. The visitors, as was predicted, made wholesale changes with Tom Nixon the only starter at Port Vale last weekend to keep his place. And it would be the right-back who created the game's first chance when he tried his luck from long-range only to draw a fine reactive stop from Michael Kelly in the home goal.
Down the other end Ian Lawlor did well to deny Charlie Caton before another full-back in the shape of James Maxwell saw a dipping effort just clear the bar not long after. Aside from that the first half was a non-event in truth. Accrington's biggest threat mostly came from monster throws that Rovers did well to repel more often than not whilst the visitors just couldn't get a stranglehold on the game going forward, with nothing that went upfield sticking.
Possibly with a rollicking still ringing in their ears after the restart, Rovers came out with plenty of intent and Jordan Gibson drew a good reaction stop from Kelly within a couple of minutes. But that momentum was soon halted as plucky Stanley held firm. As the game ticked closer to penalties Grant McCann rolled the dice with a quadruple change and one of those, Luke Molyneux, was hacked down 20 minutes from time by Woods who received a quickfire second caution.
It was from a corner - ironically awarded after Woods' effort was tipped behind by Lawlor - that the breakaway was launched leading to the red card incident. And another corner would lead to the opener with another sub Glenn Middleton whipping it in to meet the head of another change, Bailey, for his fourth of the season already.
Close, just as he did in round one, then got on the scoresheet as he curled in a superb effort seven minutes later to kill off any vague chance of a comeback. The only blot on Rovers' night came just prior to that, when Molyneux had to exit the action prematurely after feeling the after-effects of that Woods tackle.
Rovers: Lawlor, Nixon, Grehan, Pearson, Maxwell, Crew, Close, Sbarra, Ajayi, Hanlan, Gibson
Substitutes: Bailey for Sbarra 68; Ironside for Hanlan 68; Middleton for Gibson 68; Molyneux for Ajayi 68; Clifton for Molyneux 77
Unused subs: Lo-Tutala, McGrath, Senior, Westbrooke.
Player of the match: Owen Bailey. Only on the pitch for a quarter of the game but contributed plenty in that time, scoring one and assisting as he enhanced his 'Captain Fantastic' tag.
Attendance: 1,270 (568)