Doncaster Rovers lose out to Lincoln City in final friendly outing

Doncaster Rovers rounded off their pre-season schedule with a 1-0 loss at home to Lincoln City.

The game at Club Doncaster Sports Village was a real sleepy affair for the vast majority. Lincoln, League One winners at a canter last season, fielded an experimental side that had a number of trialists in, including former Rovers pair Fejiri Okenabirhie and Matt Smith

For Rovers, Jordan Thomas showed good skill down the right and clipped in a ball that found Alfie May only for the striker to wastefully head over from a few yards out. The Imps then registered their first attempt at goal just before the half-hour mark when Marvin Johnson - one of the aforementioned trialists - blazed over after Josh Clarke repelled a decent Okenabirhie effort.

May then dashed on to a glorious through-ball from Jay McGrath only for Joe Gauci to come out and smother his attempt. There was a worry for the hosts when James Husband, after lengthy treatment, was replaced by Jack Senior just before the break.

The visitors then went in front from a well-worked goal just after the restart. Johnson whipped in a lovely ball from the left and Oscar Thorn applied the finishing touch from a few yards out. Clarke then rushed out to prevent Lincoln scoring a second, foiling Okenabirhie from close range.

Rovers made a flurry of changes as the game went on, and it resulted in them enjoying more chances. May fired straight at Gauci inside the area before Leon Ayinde - again, a livewire - advanced towards goal and tested the goalkeeper's reflexes from distance.

Ayinde blazed over in the latter stages as Rovers failed to score for a third game in a row. They visit Stockport next weekend in the Carabao Cup first round.

Rovers: Clarke, Nixon (Sterry), McGrath (Pawlak), Byrne (Grehan), Husband (Senior), Robinson (Broadbent), Clifton, Hutchinson (Bailey), Adelakun (McCann), May (Hanlan), Thomas (Ayinde)

Subs not used: Simkin, Middleton.

Attendance: 2,455.