Doncaster Rovers (A) 30th March, 3pm

This will probably be another brief preview as I negotiate a dodgy internet signal from Mainz (Germany). With only 7 games remaining in this League One campaign, and the Saddlers now occupying a bottom four place in the table, the phrase “relegation battle” becomes more and more apt. We travel to the wilds of South Yorkshire to face a Doncaster Rovers team that has recently discovered its form by thumping Bristol Rovers 4-1 in midweek to move into the play-off zone. Donny’s current League One form looks like this:-

2 March Charlton Athletic (H) Drew 1-1
9 March AFC Wimbledon (A) Lost 2-0
12 March Blackpool (A) Drew 1-1
15 March Barnsley (H) Drew 0-0
23 March Luton Town (A) Lost 4-0
26 March Bristol Rovers (H) Won 4-1

We will, of course, extend a warm welcome to the 2 ex-Saddlers like to figure on Saturday in the forms of vice-captain Andy Butler and on-loan Paul Downing, as long as neither of them takes a leaf out of Will Grigg’s book and actually scores against us…

Dean Keates’ tactical decisions were the subject of much debate following the Barnsley defeat - his team selection and set-up seemed to be spot on, and indeed it was looking likely that we would get at least one point from the game up until the 91st minute, but the question of substitutions and more importantly their timing, proved to be a talking point. It’s surely a bit rich to send someone on to the field of play when everyone knows he will only have around 30 seconds to make an impact?

Prediction? Trying to be optimistic (as ever) let’s go for a 1-1 draw. We will obviously concede in the first 12 minutes (The Gasheads conceded 2 in that time frame), but a surprise equaliser from a Downing own goal could save the day… :wink:

UTS

An easy 1-3 win for me, with Zeli tapping one in with one of the crutches Deano throws to him after refusing to pull him off after suffering an injury.

3-0 defeat unfortunately.

3-2 defeat, with Walsall going 2-0 up early doors, but Keates makes 3 subs after 27 minutes as a reaction to the Barnsley game, the rest almost predictable.

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:joy::joy::joy::joy::joy::joy:

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After last week’s performance i’m going for us to beat Donny 2-1… same team for me. Lets utilise the pace of Our forwards and see if they can get at Downing & Butler.

All three subs (who come on in 90th, 91st & 93rd minutes) score. Sadly 2 of these are OGs.
1-2.
As always I am looking forward to this. I think we desperately need something. League table positions can change rapidly at this time of the season and I can see us being dependent on the failure of others, to survive rather than our own successes,

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1-0 to Donny, Butler to score in the 91st minute from a goal mouth scramble. In the 92nd minute DK will bring on Cook, Ferrier and Oteh for a cramped up Gordan, Zeli and Osbourne in an attempt to find a goal in the remaining 30 seconds.

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2-1 to Doncaster. We’ll go a goal up, tire, concede two in the final 20 minutes.

Regrettably can see nothing but a 3-0 defeat looming, so, predictably we get absolutely zero from the 4 horror fixtures that, sadly as expected, have propelled us deep into the relegation zone.

2-1 win to us, backs against the wall for the final 20 mins

Strange results happen this time of the season and I think we are due 1 of those out of the last 4 games

UTS

I really, really hope we can win this one. In addition to our dire situation meaning to increase our points tally is a necessity, I can never forgive Doncaster who I blame for us not achieving promotion a few years back!
Remember when the then Doncaster Manager put on all of his subs, for technical reasons, in the first half when playing at Home to Burton Albion in the last game of the season! He then had second half injuries but with no subs left they had to finish the game with only 9 players! Even so, they still managed a draw which is all Burton required!

My prediction: We will lose more narrowly than everyone predicts and people will still be outraged by it.

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Since the win against Bristol Rovers on Tuesday was Doncaster’s first in 8 games, they are certainly not as invincible as some might believe. Mind you, I’d rather have been facing them after their 4-0 drubbing at Luton last Saturday than after this 4-1 win. It might have given them a bit of confidence.

1-1 (Gordon)

I fear a big defeat. Saturday was a big blow and I think any confidence we had will have gone. A repeat of the scoreline earlier in the season for me 1-4.

Keep up the performances of the last few games and we’ll win at some point.
3-2 win on Saturday - Butler and Marquis for them, Ismail, Edwards and Devlin for us

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Our (almost unbelievable) record at The Keepmoat…played 5 won 5 F 12 A 4!!

Can we have ever had a better run of away results against any opposition in our history? Made all the more strange by how crap we usually were at Belle Vue.

Anyway just incase I’ve jinxed it by mentioning that, there’s lots of “3” imagery surrounding this game which can only mean 3 points surely?

Game taking place on the 30/3, its my 3rd visit, looking for a 3rd win to end the run of 3 defeats, me and my son have an average age of 33, and we’re sitting in coach G for Gamma, the 3rd letter of the Greek alphabet, I’m taking a fridgepack of 6 cans of 330ml Tennents lager, (definitely not 3 each) brewed in Scotland which is a 3rd world country with a 3rd rate football team.

3-0 Walsall, Leahy hat-trick.

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Let’s hope we are not 3rd from bottom at the end of it!

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I predict that we will lose 0.5 -0.45

:slight_smile:

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Many on here are predicting draws and wins!

Now Donny are having a good season and should finish in the top 6 with what is below them but given the incredible record up there in last 10 years there is no reason to fear this one.