Preview: Doncaster Rovers

22 October 2021

In a month dominated by home matches, Cheltenham Town make a rare away visit to Doncaster Rovers on Saturday (kick-off: 3pm).

The Robins have faced four consecutive home matches and the visit to Donny is the only away match in an October that sees six other games all played on home turf.

Having enjoyed back-to-back League One wins over Accrington Stanley and Morecambe this weekend represents another good opportunity to build on that positive form.

Though opponents Doncaster are struggling at the bottom of the table it will be a tough outing against a team who know the level well and who are desperate to pull themselves away from the lower end of the division.

Team news

There are no new injury concerns heading into the match. It's been confirmed that Will Boyle (pictured) will be missing for four to six weeks due to an ankle ligament injury.

Charlie Raglan will also miss the game because of a knee problem. Loan duo Callum Wright and Taylor Perry both miss out due to injuries too.

Media talk

Although Doncaster are struggling at the wrong end of the table, Michael Duff won't be taking anything for granted on Saturday.

"They are a much bigger club than us. They've been at the level longer than us and they've got a manager who has won the league we've just got out of," he said in his Thursday press conference.

"We know what we need to perform. The last two home games they've lost to Wycombe through two set pieces and absolutely dominated MK Dons.

"They've got good players, a good manager and a good club. They're lacking someone to put the chances away because they are creating chances. We need to make sure we are on it."

Watch Duff's preview of Saturday's game for free on iFollow.

Alfie May has also been looking ahead to a return to his former side. He said: "I will be interested to see the fans reaction. I left on good terms personally and I look at every fixture that they play to see how they've got on. It is a club close to my heart and I've got a lot of respect for.

"We can't think because they're bottom of the league that we're going to turn them over."

Watch May's interview before this weekend's game exclusively on iFollow.

Opposition

Saturday's opponents have endured a difficult season so far and sit bottom of the League One table having registered seven points from 12 matches so far.

It's the South Yorkshire side's fifth consecutive season at this level but their only league wins so far have come in victories over Morecambe and MK Dons.

One of Mattie Pollock's Watford teammates, Pontus Dahlberg, is their man to rely on in goal. He has two international caps for Sweden.

Going forward Jordy Hiwula provides good Football League knowhow, while 18-year-old Tiago Cukur is another on loan from Watford. Ghana born Joe Dodoo also has quality that will prove dangerous to deal with.

They've used the loan market well, bringing in the likes of Ethan Galbraith from Manchester United and Matt Smith from Arsenal, while their experience comes in the form of midfield man John Bostock and ex-Peterborough midfielder Tommy Rowe.

Cheltenham academy graduate Ed Williams is also on their books though he's not featured for them since August.

The manager: Richie Wellens

In May, Richie Wellens was reunited with one of the clubs from his playing career, but this time as their manager.

It's his fourth managerial position having previously taken charge at Oldham Athletic, Swindon Town and Salford City. It was with Swindon he was crowned League Two champions at the end of the shortened 2019/20 season because of covid-19.

In his playing days after coming through the system at Manchester United he played as a midfielder for the likes of Blackpool, Oldham, Doncaster, Leicester City, Ipswich Town, Shrewsbury, Salford and Macclesfield Town.

Tickets & travel

Tickets can be bought on the day from 1pm onwards from the Club Academy Doncaster reception.

Adult £21
Senior (60+) £17
18-24 £17
12-17 £8
11 & under £5

Fans who have booked onto the Travel Club coach are reminded that the departure time is 10am.

If you haven't been able to pick up your tickets for the game from the Cheltenham ticket office, they will be available to collect from Doncaster on matchday.

Here is a useful video guide for visiting the Keepmoat Stadium:

Coverage

Social media: Follow @CTFCofficial on Twitter for team news and updates, CTFC on Facebook for score updates and @CTFCofficial on Instagram.

Website: Read the match report post-match and see reaction to the result from inside the camp.

Radio: Tune in to live commentary on BBC Radio Gloucestershire and on iFollow.

Highlights: Watch extended highlights on iFollow, on YouTube, Sky Sports and Quest.

Match Reports

Report & highlights: Doncaster Rovers 3-2 Robins

23 October 2021

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Doncaster Rovers v Cheltenham Town - Extended highlights - Sat 23rd October 2021

Extended highlights of Doncaster Rovers v Cheltenham Town, Sat 23rd October 2021 in the Sky Bet League One

How Cheltenham Town returned home without at least a point from this one is anyone's guess.

They created a string of great chances, struck the woodwork twice and missed a second half penalty as they chased a topsy-turvey game at the Keepmoat Stadium.

But they ultimately paid the price for conceding three poor goals in a pulsating encounter in South Yorkshire, losing by the odd goal in five.

Late goals by former Rovers' favourites Alfie May and Andy Williams gave Michael Duff's side some hope in the closing stages but the home side clung on for the victory that lifted them off the foot of the table.

"I think we've had 20 shots but I don't think we've been great today," Duff said afterwards.

"We're disappointed because I think we deserved something out of the game. We missed two really big chances at 0-0 and I think if you come here at the minute and you go a goal up, it's a different game.

"We've got to do lots of the game better but ultimately we've missed a penalty, hit the crossbar twice and been beaten by the odd goal.

"In the last 20 minutes I just think we ran around a bit more. We started the game okay and created some chances but then I don't think we did anything well. We tried to change the shape a few times but people weren't pressing, people weren't being combative and people were running off our players and that doesn't normally happen.

"Running hard and being competitive shouldn't ever go away. Formations will come and go but you can't come to any team in this league and we have to be on it, as I've said numerous times, but we weren't today."

Duff kept faith with the side that defeated Morecambe on Tuesday, his side's second win in four days.

Again he deployed a diamond midfield with Conor Thomas at its base and Dan Crowley in behind the front pairing of Kyle Vassell and Kyle Joseph.

His side started well enough and Vassell was handed a couple of early chances, both falling for him at the far post after some good work by Matty Blair but the big striker couldn't make them count.

Had he'd taken one of them the game may have had a very different complexion but Rovers went on to grab the opener with 23 minutes played, Joe Dodoo running on to a simple ball over the top to guide a low angled finish past Scott Flinders.

Ben Close almost made it two a moment later but Flinders produced a good save, diving to his right, to push away the danger.

Liam Sercombe had a chance to respond, lifting a ball over two opponents before trying a dipping volley which missed the target by a matter of inches.

But skipper Tom Anderson made it two on the stroke of half-time, easily heading home from a corner on the right to leave Michael Duff's side with it all to do after the break.

Conor Thomas was a whisker away from pulling one back immediately after the restart, latching on to the loose ball after a cultured effort by Ellis Chapman was spilled into his path.

It was the first incident of an eventful second period which saw chances for both sides.

Duff had sent on May (for Dan Crowley) and Christian Norton (Thomas) but within seconds the home side had added their third when Rodrigo Vilca ran on to a ball down the right and blasted one past Flinders.

Ethan Galbraith, the Manchester United loanee, was then denied a fourth by a notable stop by Flinders.

At the other end Liam Sercombe rattled the crossbar with a thunderous effort from 18 yards, which came back off the line before it was cleared.

Next Duff's side turned defence into attack, handing May the chance to centre from the right but his cross was handled by a defender.

With Thomas, the regular penalty taker, substituted it was left to Sercombe to step up to the mark and the midfielder smashed it down the middle but saw it saved. May followed up, but struck the right post before it was cleared.

But May pulled one back with 22 minutes remaining, squeezing one home from a tight angle down the right with the Doncaster defence all over the place.

Duff's side threw the kitchen sink at it in the closing stages but the fragile Doncaster defence held on, just about, to seal the win.

DONCASTER ROVERS (4-3-3): Dahlberg; Galbraith, Williams, Anderson (c), Oluwu; Close, Bostock, Hiwula (Barlow 90); Vilca (Cukar 80), Rowe (Smith 8), Dodoo. Subs not used: Jones, Gardner, Horton, Hasani.

CHELTENHAM TOWN (4-4-2): Flinders; Blair, Pollock, Long, Hussey; Sercombe (c), Crowley (May 54), Thomas (Norton 54), Chapman; Joseph, Vassell (Williams 82). Subs not used: Evans (Gk), Freestone, Williams, Horton, Barkers.

REFEREE: N Hair

ATTENDANCE: 6,101 (247 from Cheltenham)

Ticket News

Tickets & travel: Doncaster Rovers

7 October 2021

Tickets and away travel for Cheltenham Town's away match at Doncaster Rovers on Saturday 23 October are now on sale online and from the ticket office.

It's the first team's only away fixture in October and the first visit to the Keepmoat Stadium since March 2017 when the clubs last clashed in League Two.

They have met in League One before - during the 2006/07 and 2007/08 campaigns.

Ticket prices for the game are as follows:

Adult £21
Senior (60+) £17
18-24 £17
12-17 £8
11 & under £5

The Travel Club coach heading to the game will depart from the Jonny-Rocks Stadium at 10am.

Prices for a seat on the coach are:

Non Members £18/£16
Members £16/£14
Junior Robins £7

You can buy tickets for the game online or from the ticket office.

Supporters who purchase through Cheltenham will see 5% of their purchase go back to the Robins.

If you are unable to collect your tickets from the ticket office at Cheltenham you can do so from Club Doncaster Academy at the Keepmoat Stadium on the day which is positioned next to the away reception.