The story of how below-par Doncaster Rovers slipped to defeat against Hartlepool United

Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now
Doncaster Rovers could move back into the League Two play-off places with a positive result against Hartlepool United tonight.

Only goal difference currently separates Rovers from a spot in the top seven ahead of their trip to County Durham.

Their opponents are the only team in the entire Football League yet to win this season and find themselves second from bottom.

They have drawn their first two games under new boss Keith Curle, however, and fought back from two goals down to drawn against Mansfield last time out.

Hartlepool United v Doncaster Rovers LIVE

Key Events

  • Pools are the only Football League side yet to win this season
  • Doncaster looking for their fourth straight win in all competitions and third in League Two
  • Rovers will move back into play-offs with a positive result

Doncaster get a corner...somehow

Ball comes into the box and Agard shields it for Biggins to shoot. It looks like a bad miss but apparently it took a deflection.

Double change for Hartlepool

Clarke Odour and Jack Hamilton make way for Wes McDonald and Jake Hastie.

May have missed this update: Adam Long and Kieran Agard replaced James Maxwell and Charlie Seaman at the break.

Molyneux has just fired a free-kick wide of the post.

Bliey what a chance. Agard is played through one-on-one following a counter attack but can’t beat Ben Killip from inside the area. You would have backed him to finish there. Perhaps took one too many touches before the shot.

Donny play the conditions

Clayton loops one into Molyneux’s path, he beats his man and gets away toward the byline before whipping a cross across goal. The ball evades everyone but comes back out to Clayton, who tries a volley on the stretch which goes over.

Doncaster starting to get a foothold here. Thirty minutes left.

Griffiths heads wide

A poor ball from a Hartlepool defender gives Molyneux a chance to run into space. His ball is poor but finds its way out to Kyle Knoyle on the other side of the box, who floats a cross into Griffiths. The striker can’t escape the attentions of a home defender and nods into the side netting.

Chances at both ends

He catches the ball nicely on the half volley but Killip collects low. Decent effort.

Hartlepool then go up the other end and Callum Cooke fires over after dancing past several challenges in the box.

Chance falls to Agard

Better from Rovers who make use of two strikers. Griffiths finds Agard and his shot is deflected wide. Resultant corner cleared by Donny have picked up the tempo here. Fans behind the goal are behind them and making some good noise.

A good half for the hosts. As for the visitors? Must do better. Think it took them until the 45th minute to test Ben Killip in the home goal.

Not much quality in this one so far and a mistake from Maxwell has proved the difference.

Molyneux forces a save

Believe that could be Doncaster’s first effort on goal. A nice ball through the lines finds the winger turned forward, who spins and fires low at goal. Keeper parries it out for a corner then collects Clayton’s delivery.