Aparantly the star trialist in the U23 game was Dion Pereira. Scored one and an assist. Fleetwood a bogey team for us so I'll go 1-1, Sheaf, Ennis

I forgot to make a forecast/stab in the dark. Can there be justification for an optimistic one? Cole will want to do well against the club with which he was most successful and Okenabihirie will provide another option probably on the bench and the effect on their presence in the squad should encourage competition whilst hopefully adding to overall confidence.

So, I’ll say 2-1 (Ennis/Sadlier/Cole).

Copps has been disappointing recently, but perhaps he is having difficulty adapting to the slightly altered style, but as a naturally gifted footballer there must be a very good chance that he will adapt and shine again.

Donaldo....26 has been disappointing lately lol.
2 nil victory.
25b/ ennis/ whiteman

If the club make it possible for Hull to get Whiteman and Sadlier, McCann will have inflicted possibly the most grievous blow to Doncaster Rovers for over 60 years. Then, we had the ructions in the club when it took the side of director Hubert Bates over that of the manager Peter Doherty. McCann’s rather more loyal countryman was forced to leave thereby denying us the best access to the Northern Irish and local talent which had provided us with players like Harry Gregg plus Rawmarsh’s Alick Jeffrey, two of the very best in their age group in the UK at the time. So the Board’s failure to recognise the value of its main business asset fuelled a decline which under a succession of poor chairmen projected the club downwards.

With just 3 left from the team which “lost” at The Valley, it is remarkable what has been regained but losing Whiteman and Sadlier would be irresponsible and self-destructive and probably lose us Darren Moore too. Yes, Sadlier will be free of his contract at the season’s end, but we should have the ambition of reaching the same level as Hull City by then anyway and his choice for his own future will probably be wider and include carrying on here at an improved comparable terms.

Sadlier has developed into a classy player and at a time when we are short of goal-scorers, selling your best one would be crazy, especially after exporting last season’s in the summer.

Getting rid of either will certainly bring the Board into extreme disrepute with the fans. Failing to foresee the possibility of McCann’s departure and the earlier breakdown of the relationship with Ferguson do not encourage belief in their forward planning. Businesses don’t prosper or progress when you dispose of your leaders and principal assets to the highest bidder.

So Stirling is fit enough to go out on loan for rest of season?

I hope signing this winger is not cover for Sadlier leaving????? Only 37 minutes to go, and Hull's 20M deal not yet complete.

Rest easy Micky.

Looking forward to see how all the new boys are fitted in and how they perform.

I'm impressed by you Rovers fans staying up for the close of the window. Very easy here, only 15:00 on the Pacific Coast. At the same time, we held a minute silence for the passing of the United Kingdom!

2-1 to the rovers sadler/Ennis. Got to feel sorry for McCann losing his players at the last minute. NOT

Nookie: yes, it will give him the sort of hill to climb that he left to confront poor DM.

GMcC has ability without doubt and we owe him for last season, but ultimately the board possess the power and having been challenged, particularly in the case of Sadlier they did what is best for the club on the pitch. Having read the background, one of the big money departures was going to run out of contract in the summer, so there was a direct analogy with the Sadlier situation.

We obviously do not know what the percentage success was for us in the window; we lost the Bristol City lad and of course Idah and Cole was not even on the speculation list, nor was Lokilo about whom I have yet to research, but Moore always seems confident of his own judgement, so I'm content.

We might well need to seek postponements at the next round of International matches however...

Fleetwood 1-1 Rovers
Sadlier

Small Azza
Fleetwood 1-2 Rovers
Gomes

Fleetwood 0-2 Rovers. Ennis, Whiteman.

A little surprised at the starting eleven - would have thought one new lad would be in. Also surprised James dropped to the bench. Was going for a draw, but I'm more positive this morning.
Fleetwood 1 Rovers 2; Ennis.

1-1 draw taylor

2.1 defeat, Sadlier

It seems BVZ was a realist rather the the rest of us who were the optimists. Under those weather conditions it was difficult for either team to make a great game of it, and neither team played well. I think a draw would have been a fair result. All goals were scrappy, and their two from mistakes you do not expect. Dieng miss-judged the cross in the wind and Fleetwood responded more quickly to a loose ball, and then I'm not sure what Sadlier thought he was doing when he passed to Fleetwood in the Rovers' area (Dieng also miss-judged another that resulted in Anderson clearing off the line). Fleetwood should have cleared the Rovers' cross, but congrats to Ennis for responding well with a good finish.
Our weakness upfront in the first half was caused by Taylor and Sadlier having below par games, and the same could be said about Sheaf and John. I'd have felt more comfortable with James at left back. Danny Andrew also did not shine, so may be it was not so bad losing him.
It was difficult to pick out anyone who had a really good game, and probably Ennis and Anderson were the best of the out-field players.
Too little seen of the new lads to make any judgement.

I should have included Gomes in the out-field players who played reasonably well. I did feel Dieng was slightly impeded when he went for the cross that led to the first goal, and I'm glad the Free Press noticed it. A few refs would have given a foul on the goal keeper.

Just a feeling we'll end up 7 th or 8 th this year. Too much experimentation and a little inexperience from DM. Dont really get the home and away changes to formations and style of play. Why mess with a very successful back four?

Thanks lads.
Flying home Monday so off to Tranmere

Thanks Micky. Unfortunately I did miss a few bits of the commentary which also suffered some technical problems - breaks - due to the primitive Highbury facilities in the high winds.

I detected poor passing from the otherwise reasonably competent Sheaf again which seemed to me at any rate, improved vs Southend. He really must work on this! It's like a striker who is very capable of getting himself right in position and always misses the target.

You could say that the home team are always at an advantage on their home territory whatever the conditions and our enclosed field of play is totally opposite to theirs which may explain why we can't succeed there.

Perhaps the emphasis should have been more on preserving a clean sheet and horses-for-courses and their ex-player Cole should have started.

I propose we dismiss this as a one-off

Expect worse conditions on Tuesday. The pitch today is a quagmire with hardly any grass. The Liverpool Ladies game due today was called off as the ref said it was unplayable

Yes mostly sand it seems; but even so, they do not seem to be able to gain much advantage even if they are used to it, judging by their home record which is not much better than their away form.

Was hoping for a win, but, they dont tend to play by the rules and we cant stand up to bullies as yet. Once I saw James was not starting I thought why? Why change a back four that has been Brilliant all season. So I went for a defeat.
Another thing that may upset a few fans is, on Tuesday, start with Cole and Feji, leave Ennis on bench. Yes he's scored 2 in 2, but this pitch isn't suitable for his type of player, plus my argument is these other two will/could be here next season, Ennis wont. We have to start looking at the big picture, this season maybe to soon, plus he has other loans, Ramsey, that will need to be tried out. Big Dave has some big decisions to make from now till end of season. A lot different to the decisions he was making a few weeks ago when he couldn't fill the bench. Onwards n upwards.

BVZ, I must admit I do not like teams such as Fleetwood where one of their main objectives seems to be to get opponent players booked. Often, with minimal contact, their players fell to the ground and acted like they were mortally wounded - must have watched Neymar in the World Cup. In addition, their manager was always complaining to the fourth official, I assume asking for a card to be given.
Some may call it "gamesmanship", I call it disgusting.