Doncaster Rovers defeat Peterborough United at London Road to keep alive their play off ambitions

Despite taking the lead, a wonder strike from left back Gareth Roberts and a goal right at the death from John Oster broke the hearts of the Posh fans in an entertaining game at London Road on Tuesday night.

Peterborough United boss Jim Gannon made just one change from their win at Watford on Saturday with Exodus Geohaghon replacing the injured Aaron McLean. The home side started with a ‘Christmas tree’ formation with Griffiths, Little, Morgan and Zakuani making the defence.  Lee, Torres and Geohaghon formed the midfield with Mackail-Smith and Rowe on the flanks. Dickinson completed the front line up top.

The Yorkshire side made three changes after their victory over Derby at the weekend with Sam Hird, Dean Shiels and Martin Woods starting the game with James O’Connor, Mark Wilson and James Hayter all reduced to the bench.

Jim Gannon’s men were looking to continue their good form following two victories and two clean sheets of late and started well by creating some early pressure, however, they couldn’t produce anything of two early corners.

The first significant effort on goal came on 10 minutes as Charlie Lee fizzed in a long range effort from 25 yards but Neil Sullivan, in the Rovers goal, was equal to the effort, using his experience to watch the swerve and hold onto the ball.

Both teams were keen to play football on the floor with both midfields trying to dominate proceedings. Doncaster however were looking the more confident with Shiels and Woods retaining possession well, Woods himself curling a 25 yard effort wide of Joe Lewis’s goal after quarter of an hour.

The Posh looked ruthless from set pieces with Rowe and Torres both delivering teasing crosses from their corners. It was a free kick however that Posh should have scored from. On 23 minutes, a Sergio Torres free kick was aimed at 6”7 man Geohaghon who powered the ball into the path of Craig Mackail-Smith who, from 8 yards, missed the target completely with his head. Mackail-Smith isn’t known for his heading ability, but he should have done better.

The game was becoming to be played at a faster tempo with both sides creating some openings. Former Reading midfield man John Oster shot wide of the Peterborough goal before Gabriel Zakuani headed a Torres corner kick, another set piece, wide on 36 minutes.

Doncaster were on the back foot with the United’s front three being a nuisance up front. It was central midfielder Sergio Torres who had, without a doubt, the best chance of the first half on 38 minutes. Mackail-Smith’s stray pass found its way to the Argentine who took a touch to get sight of goal but his effort, from 12 yards, was tame and Neil Sullivan, at the grand age of 40, was able to get low and fist away the ball from danger, denying the former Wycombe Wanderers player his first goal this season.

The Yorkshire club finished the first half the stronger of the two teams as they began to dominate. Billy sharp was a handful up front and, on 40 minutes, fired straight at Lewis after twisting and turning round his marker to create the chance himself. Woods, who had an impressive first half, saw his fierce effort from around 30 yards shoot marginally over the Posh bar with Lewis beaten scrambling to get back to his goal line. The referee brought the half to a close and, despite a particularly even first half; it was the home side that had the clearest chances.

Posh at half time suffered the loss of Liam Dickinson who was forced off after picking up an injury at the end of the first half, West Brom loanee Reuben Reid was his replacement.

Rovers started the second half the way they ended the first by exerting pressure on the Posh back four by winning a corner, but Hird headed wide.

The game, being played at a fast tempo, swung back into the home sides favour as, from another back post corner, Zakuani nodded the ball across goal to Lee who saw his effort expertly saved from the impressive Sullivan from just two yards. Moments later, Reid had a cross-come-shot parried by Rovers keeper Sullivan only for Rowe to fire into the side netting.

The goal was getting closer and, after the home faithful had witnessed some neat interchanges of play, The Posh won another corner in the 55^th minute. Rowe’s right hand side in-swinger corner was floated in at perfection for Charlie Lee who nodded the ball passed Sullivan, even if the referee needed the assistance from the lines man to confirm the ball had crossed the line. Doncaster had finally caved under the Posh pressure, to the delight of the home faithful. Chants of “We are staying up!” echoed round London Road as a new found optimism was sweeping amongst the fans as Posh were seemingly heading to their third consecutive victory.

The away side reacted the way head coach O’Driscoll would have wanted, with  Emmanuel-Thomas, who was having a very quiet game up to this point, laid the ball across goal for the in-form Billy Sharp, but he fired high and wide when he should have produced a better end product. Moments later Shiels found the side-netting with a dipping, swerving effort, unable to re create the craft and vision he demonstrated in the return fixture last October.

As Rovers setup became increasingly attacking, Posh’s chances became sparser. However, Mackail-Smith forced veteran keeper Sullivan into a stop as he had a pop shot from 20 yards. Full back Little showed his attacking prowess by running the right flank and creating a chance for Rowe, only for his header to fire wide of the target on 63 minutes.

Just minutes later though, Doncaster were well and truly back into the game as Rovers left back Gareth Roberts fired in an unstoppable left footed volley into the bottom corner of Lewis’s goal after the danger looked to have been cleared from a Morgan header. A contender for goal of the month, not many keepers would have kept this out.

On 70 minutes, centre half Zakuani should have given United the lead again as, from another corner, his header went inches wide. It was another good chance for The Posh who knew they had to win to keep their survival hopes alive.

With a point satisfying neither side, the game became more open and end to end with more chances being created. Emmanuel-Thomas’s first significant effort on goal fired just wide of Lewis’s left post after neat play between him and his strike partner, Billy Sharp. Mackail-Smith, for the Posh, was getting some joy down the right hand side and, after beating full back chambers, his cross was just inches away from the onrushing Charlie Lee.  Lee then headed just over the bar from a Geohaghon throw.

The game was clearly stretched and, after a swish Rovers counter attack, Sharp raced down the right hand side and fire in a miscued shot, only to see John Oster poke the ball home into an open net to send all three points back to Yorkshire.  

John Oster’s first goal for the club is a hard pill to swallow for Peterborough as, despite dominating for large periods of the game whilst playing with passion and commitment, this defeat just about condemns The Posh to relegation.

Peterborough: Lewis, Morgan, Zakuani, Lee, Dickinson (sub Reid 46min), Mackail-Smith, Rowe, Little, Torres (sub Simpson 80min), Griffiths, Geohaghon. Subs: McKeown, Day, Crook, Green, Koranteng, Reid.

Doncaster: Sullivan, Roberts, Sharp, Chambers (sub O’Connor 87min), Oster, Woods, Hird, Shiels (sub Lockwood 90min), Coppinger, Martis, Emmanuel-Thomas. Unused subs; Mutch, Spicer, Hayter, Smith, Wilson.

Attendance: 6,773 (823 Rovers fans)