DPL FA Cup R2 vs Scunthorpe

I thouht our first half today was probably our best 45 minutes of the season.
We were at Scunny from the off, putting them under pressure, not giving them chance to settle into any kind of pattern.
Our attacks were mainly down the right with Blair, Copps, Beestin and Marquis causing all the problems.
Blair was especially prominent.
Rowe got that goal after making up 20 yards on the keeper as he dithered and delayed his clearance until it was too late.
Scunny had a couple of crosses that fizzed across the face of our goal late in the half but overall we bossed them.
We expected a much better Scunny in the second half and for twenty minutes or so we got that.
Butler and Wright stood tall though and Lawlor contributed with two really good punched clearances but for all their good play Scunny couldn’t create th3 clear chance they needed.
Rowe them got a really good second but if our defence had let someone go past three players like that our supporters would have gone mad.
After that I thought that Rovers regained control in general and although Lawlor had to make one really good block, I always felt as though we would hang on for the win.
Mandevilles’ goal was the icing on the cake after more comedy Scunthorpe defending.
Rowe got the MoM in the stadium but for me, Marquis should have got it.
He was fantastic all game and revelled in winding up several opponents while he was at it as well.

We now eagerly await the iconic third round draw in the hope of a special fixture.

There are signs that DF is ready to play a back four regularly at last and the performances are improving off the back of that.

By the way albie, Blair picked up a knock late in the first half and looked uncomfortable for the last few minutes of it so I am assuming that it why he went off.
Kongolo did excellently as his replacement, playing a little deeper than he has in the past with mor discipline.

Thanks hound.

The sound commentators described the dominance of our attack over their defence, but they put me on edge by their nervousness about our defence's capability to maintain a clean sheet. I suppose such pessimism is borne of our fragility in the past, even including last year's campaign where we won mostly by outscoring the opposition.

Garrett got a fair amount of criticism, so there was some relief when his injury enabled him to be subbed. There were also apparently quite a lot of occasions when the ball was passed instead of being fired at goal.

The BBC highlights completely omit the numerous chances we had in the first half giving the impression that Scunthorpe had most of the play in the first 45. The quality of the coverage, directing and editing is so disappointing now; the whole show was disjointed and poorly produced and they didn't even manage to show the final goal in the live transmission.

It may be too soon to say that we are finding our feet now, but it does sound as though Mandeville is progressing again and that both the Alfies will be available next week.

As for the predictions the crowd, was massively below expectations and without the Iron contingent it would have been even worse. Those who kept the faith were rewarded, but the fact that no one thought the margin would be so big rather bears out the general worries about the defensive weaknesses. So I single out Selby and Nookie as predictors of the Rowe opener even though neither saw it as a winner. I've also brought in Lanza's 3 points for the result. PDXMicky edges into the lead with his score prediction.

Dare we hope for a second plum cup draw in the same season? Until this year we would have to go back to the Liverpool ties 40 years ago for the last time we got a really top team in the cup, so maybe it is our year...
Rovers 3 (Rowe 2, Mandeville) Scunthorpe 0 (5251)
………………..….Crowd Scorer Score Result Bonus Total Pts B/F Cumltve
Donaldo ………… 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 83 ……. 83
PDXMickey ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 87 ……. 90
Yorks Lad …….. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 54 ……. 57
BVZ. ……..…….. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 70 ……. 73
Crazy …….……… 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 64 ……. 67
Uthred …….…… 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 87 ……. 87
Mooligan …..…. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 68 ……. 71
King Chmprr …. 0 …… 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 47 ……. 47
Small Azza ……. 0 …… 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 56 ……. 56
Aussie Lad. ……. 0 …… 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 …… 0 …….. 5 ……… 5
Azza ……..….…… 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 52 ….. 52
Cheltenham …. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……… 0
Nookie ……….… 0 ……. 3 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 9 ….…… 12
Selby …….……… 0 ……. 3 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 …... 3 ……. 54 ……. 57
Lanza …….……… 0 …….. 0 ……. 0 …… 3 ……. 0 …... 3 ……. 0 ……… 3
…………………. 0 …….. 0 ……. 0 ….. 18 ……. 0 …... 24 ……… 736 ….. 760

I was hoping Garrat would have a good game.
There are some parts of his game that are quite exciting.
Just like some other players I dont like to make judgements too soon

I had the correct result Don 2-0

Sorry I missed your prediction Azza. Here are the revised numbers;

Rovers 3 (Rowe 2, Mandeville) Scunthorpe 0 (5251)
………………..….Crowd Scorer Score Result Bonus Total Pts B/F Cumltve
Donaldo ………… 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 83 ……. 83
PDXMickey ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 87 ……. 90
Yorks Lad …….. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 54 ……. 57
BVZ. ……..…….. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 70 ……. 73
Crazy …….……… 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 64 ……. 67
Uthred …….…… 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 87 ……. 87
Mooligan …..…. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 68 ……. 71
King Chmprr …. 0 …… 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 47 ……. 47
Small Azza ……. 0 …… 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 56 ……. 56
Aussie Lad. ……. 0 …… 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 …… 0 …….. 5 ……… 5
Azza ……..…..… 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 52 ….. 55
Cheltenham …. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……… 0
Nookie ……….… 0 ……. 3 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 3 ……. 9 ….…… 12
Selby …….……… 0 ……. 3 ……. 0 ……. 0 ……. 0 …... 3 ……. 54 ……. 57
Lanza …….….. 0 …….. 0 ……. 0 …… 3 ……. 0 ..…... 3 ……. 0 ……… 3
……………..……. 0 …….. 0 ……. 0 ….. 21 ……. 0 …... 27 … 736 ….. 763

Rochdale - but at least it is a home tie!

Gawd, we are playing them Friday of New Year's weekend! Well, the third game against The Iron we won, and so hopefully the third and fourth against Rochdale will be wins!

Hopefully from now till the fa cup we can go unbeaten too Mickey. The teams we are playing are pretty much in and around us bar Peterborough who I must say at £26 a ticket is disgraceful to sit in the old wooden heap of ***** they call a stand