Recap: Doncaster Rovers 0 Sheffield United 4: Heavy defeat in final home friendly

And Rovers trail 3-0 at the break.

It’s been a mixed bag of a half from Rovers, with with some good possession play but also sloppiness, particularly under pressure at the back, which led to all three goals for the visitors.

Ben Close’s absence seems to be keenly felt with the midfield lacking structure and also that cohesion that has been shown in previous matches.

United have shown their quality in key moments, hence the scoreline.

Right on the stroke of half time Lys Mousset bags his second for the Blades.

He went through on goal and finished superbly into the bottom corner.

Four minutes

Rovers had enjoyed some decent possession in attack earlier in the half but it’s all breaking down far too easily at the present. Passes into the front players just aren’t finding their target and it’s all very frustrating.

Lys Mousset fires in from close range to double United’s advantage.

Sander Berge powered to the byline and drilled a low ball across goal. It was turned back into the middle by Ben Osborn with Mousset slamming in.

Calamitous from Louis Jones as he gifts the opening goal to United.

Under pressure, Louis Reed passes back to the Rovers keeper who then looks to play across his goal to Ro-Shaun Williams but sells the centre half short, allowing Oliver Burke in to fire into an empty net.

Disappointing from a Rovers perspective because they’d dealt with the pressure from United well in the early stages.

Shayon Harrison does well on the left to keep the attack alive before Kyle Knoyle delivers a cross into the box. Omar Bogle flicks the header on and it drops to Jordy Hiwula, who brings it down and drills through the legs of George Baldock only for Aaron Ramsdale to save comfortably.

Dan Gardner meets a high ball on the volley but sends it well wide. That was Rovers’ best spell of attacking play so far with United largely dominant in possession.

Shayon Harrison replaces Jayden Onen, who is stretchered off.

Trialist Jayden Onen is down after a heavy collision with a couple of players, including the Blades’ Ollie Norwood. He’s been put in the recovery position but it doesn’t look incredibly serious. It seems as though his evening is over, with the stretcher on the pitch.