Doncaster Rovers 3-3 Bury: 250 word match report

With Bury already relegated, and Rovers on a five-match unbeaten run, the opening half hour of this match played out to collective expectation.

Doncaster were confident, dominant, and so far on the front foot they were in danger of toppling over; the visitors meanwhile were as hesitant as they were disorganised.

I hadn’t even taken my seat when Rovers went in front. Andy Butler staying forward to meet a pinpoint James Coppinger cross with his massive Doncastrian head.

And when John Marquis hit the post moments later, Chris seated next to me, commented ‘this could be a cricket score’. Few would have doubted the sentiment, especially when Marquis did double the lead ten minutes from the break; the forward rounding off a neat passing move with a dink over Joe Murphy. A 2-0 that could easily have been double that.

But instead of making a stand, Rovers duly offered an unexpected batting collapse; begun before the break as Niall Mason powered a header past Marko Marosi.

A blip we thought. Not so. Within five minutes of the restart Bury were level from the penalty spot after a clumsy Matty Blair trip. And then on the hour the Shakers were ahead. A defence splitting pass releasing Zeli Ismail to square for George Miller.

Bury’s twenty minutes were over there and then though; Andrew Boyle levelled things up with another header from another Coppinger cross, and despite several Rovers chances, mostly at the faltering feet of Tommy Rowe, 3-3 was how it ended.

by Glen Wilson