Doncaster Rovers seal positive end to pre-season with 1-0 win over Port Vale

Substitute George Broadbent scored the game's only goal in the second half as Rovers again kept higher-division opposition at bay.

Andy Crosby's Vale provided a physical test similar to what Doncaster can expect in League Two this season, but the hosts held their own.

The high of Tuesday's win over Sheffield Wednesday was always going to be difficult to follow and the game took some time to come alive with a sparse crowd in attendance.

There were 20 minutes on the clock before the first opening.

Ben Close found Luke Molyneux out wide, whose cross to the far post was headed out for a corner by Dan Jones at the far post with Joe Ironside waiting to pounce.

Two minutes later the visitors broke the offside trap, allowing Mitch Clark to cut the ball back for Ben Garrity to strike at goal, but his effort was just wide.

Rovers' best chance of the first half came in the 38th minute when Molyneux tried his luck with a low shot from the edge of the box following a short corner. Tommy Rowe flicked the ball on, forcing Connor Ripley to tip the ball over the bar.

Moments later Gavin Massey fired just over from distance after Joseph Olowu's pass out from the back was intercepted.

Funso Ojo smacked the crossbar in the 41st minute with a rasping strike from 30 yards which had Ian Lawlor beaten.

Chances for both sides continued to be few and far between in the second half with neither able to make the most of their openings.

Molynuex, the liveliest of Doncaster's attackers, saw an effort from the edge of the box tipped wide by Ripley 10 minutes after the restart.

Olowu should have done better 10 minutes after that when he met Roberts' corner at the far post but couldn't keep his effort on target.

A triple sub in the 67th minute gave Rovers the breakthrough as George Miller, Deji Sotona and Broadbent combined to open the scoring.

Miller released Sotona out wide, who put the ball into the area for Broadbent to finish from close range after the visitors failed to clear.

Rovers almost doubled their advantage a minute later when Molyneux's shot was hacked off the line by Nathan Smith with Miller lurking.

Molyneux threatened again in the dying minutes when he tried to catch Ripley off his line, but the keeper recovered to tip his effort wide.

On this evidence, Grant McCann's side are shaping up well ahead of the start of the season at home to Harrogate Town next weekend.

Rovers: Ian Lawlor, Joseph Olowu, Richard Wood, Luke Molyneux, Tommy Rowe (George Broadbent, 67), Harrison Biggins, Owen Bailey, Joe Ironside (George Miller, 67), Tyler Roberts (Deji Sotona, 67), Jack Senior (Tom Nixon, 76), Ben Close (James Maxwell, 76)

Subs not used: Ben Bottomley, Adam Long, Liam Ravenhill, Bobby Faulkner

Port Vale: Connor Ripley, Dan Jones, Tom Sang (Lewis Cass, 10), Nathan Smith, Mitch Clark, Ben Garrity, Ellis Harrison (James Wilson, 61), Funso Ojo (James Plant, 79), Conor Grant (Ethan Chislett, 74), Jason Lowe (Mal Benning, 71), Gavin Massey (Oliver Arblaster, 61)

Subs not used: Jayson Leutwiler, Alex Iacovitti, Jack Smith, Rhys Walter