MATCH THREAD: DONCASTER ROVERS v CARDIFF CITY " MATCH THREAD

DONCASTER ROVERS v CARDIFF CITY
Saturday 28th February, 3pm
Sky Bet League One - Match 34
Eco-Power Stadium 


TEAM NEWS

Cardiff City: Trott; Ng, Osho, Lawlor, Bagan, Wintle, J.Colwill, Robertson, Tanner, R. Colwill, Asahford.

Subs: Fish, Chambers, Scanlon, Kpakio, Turnbull, Willock, Robinson.




INJURY UPDATE:


Striker Salech is ruled out still and has had to fly bavk to Copenhagen for personal reasons .


There is also a blow in midfield, with David Turnbull set to miss out after suffering hamstring tightness during the defeat at Home Park. The manager does not expect the issue to keep him out for long, but Saturday’s fixture has come too soon.





BBM: ”ISAAK DAVIES”

On a more positive note, Isaak Davies is back in contention. The forward has missed the last two matches after sustaining a concussion in the away win over Rotherham United, but has trained fully this week.

“Isaak has trained fully this week, so fingers crossed he’ll be available,” Barry-Murphy.







Tickets Still Available:


That means adults will pay just £12 for tickets to the fixture, regardless of where they choose to sit.

DONCASTER ROVERS v CARDIFF CITY. / THIS SATURDAY

CARDIFF HAVE 3,000 TICKETS

And tickets for those aged 13 or younger will be just £Eco-Power Stadium, take advantage of the incredible value and join us on February 28th.

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About Doncaster Rovers

Doncaster are back at this level after winning League Two last season.

This was after three seasons in the fourth tier, having been relegated from League One in 2022.

So far this season, they are

Club Connections

Leo Fortune-West joined Doncaster after playing for us.

He scored 49 league goals for those two clubs.

The Opposition's Manager

Grant McCann returned to Doncaster for his second spell as manager in May 2023.

Last season he guided them to the League Two title.

He has also managed Hull and two spells as Peterborough manager.

Opposition Dangerous Players

Billy Sharp is 40 now but has been a consistent scorer in the EFL for years. He has three in the league this season.

Luke Molyneux has eight goals and seven assists this season.

Referee

TBC.

Head To Head - Last Five Meetings

We have won four out of our last five against Doncaster, with the other match in that time being a draw.

We beat them 4-3 at CCS in December.

Team News - Predicted Line-Ups

Doncaster Rovers: Lo-Tutala, Sterry, Byrne, McGrath, Senior, Gotts, Bailey, Lee, Molyneux, Adelakun, Sharp

Cardiff City: Trott, Ng, Osho, Chambers, Bagan Robertson, Turnbull, Colwill, Tanner, Willock, Kellyman

Last Game

We lost 5-2 at Plymouth on Saturday

On the same day, Doncaster won 2-1 at Rotherham.

Match Odds

Doncaster Rovers - 3/1
Cardiff City - 10/11
Draw - 5/2

Predictions

Post your predictions below 

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CCFC “ 13 “ FIXTURES REMAIN:




Sat Feb 28 Doncaster Rovers (A) Crowd Away Support






Sat Mar 7 Sky 12:30pm Cardiff City v Lincoln City

Tue Mar 10 Barnsley (A)

Sat Mar 14 Exeter City (A)

Tue Mar 17 Wycombe Wanderers (H)

Sat Mar 21 Blackpool (H)

Sat Mar 28 Huddersfield Town (A)



Fri Apr 3 Port Vale (H)

Mon Apr 6 Peterborough United (A)

Sat Apr 11 Bolton Wanderers (H)

Sat Apr 18 Reading (A)

Sat Apr 25 Northampton Town (H)



Sat May 2 Mansfield Town v Cardiff City Crowd Away Support

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Tickets Still Available:

Cardiff have 3,000 Tickets at Very Cheap Prices £8 / £10 & £12

Doncaster 1 Cardiff City 3

Doncaster are unbeaten at home since December 20th so this is a big test of our metal to see how we react to yesterday's setback

I can't see us winning this one, maybe a draw. Conceding 5 goals against Plymouth may have an impact on our chances of winning the league especially with a game against inform Lincoln coming up. Hopefully im wrong and the team gets their shit together asap.

We'll bounce back like we always do.

2-0 City.

I can't see us winning this one, maybe a draw. Conceding 5 goals against Plymouth may have an impact on our chances of winning the league especially with a game against inform Lincoln coming up. Hopefully im wrong and the team gets their shit together asap.

Get their shit together? It's one game lost in 13, we're still top and 11 points clear of third

I can't see us winning this one, maybe a draw. Conceding 5 goals against Plymouth may have an impact on our chances of winning the league especially with a game against inform Lincoln coming up. Hopefully im wrong and the team gets their shit together asap.

Get their shit together? It's one game lost in 13, we're still top and 11 points clear of third

Yes, but how many league leaders have conceded 5 goals against a mid table side at this point in the season with the chasing team now 1 point behind. It's just very concerning.

I can't see us winning this one, maybe a draw. Conceding 5 goals against Plymouth may have an impact on our chances of winning the league especially with a game against inform Lincoln coming up. Hopefully im wrong and the team gets their shit together asap.

Get their shit together? It's one game lost in 13, we're still top and 11 points clear of third

Yes, but how many league leaders have conceded 5 goals against a mid table side at this point in the season with the chasing team now 1 point behind. It's just very concerning.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=248433

An example of that happening at the same stage of the season three years ago, and they went on to win the league.

Not concerning, more likely to have a positive impact because we'll bounce back.

Doncaster put more daylight between themselves and relegation-threatened neighbours Rotherham with an away victory.

Rovers had to come from behind to move eight points clear of the Millers with second-half goals from Brandon Hanlan and Luke Molyneux.

Rotherham were handed a chance to take the lead after just 23 seconds when Duncan Watmore scampered by Jay McGrath and was tripped in the box. Sam Nombe stepped up and sent Thimothee Lo-Tutala the wrong way to give the Millers a third-minute lead.

Josh Benson tested Lo-Tutala's reflexes with an inswinging free-kick which had to be palmed away.

Doncaster got level with their first real chance on 56 minutes, with two half-time substitutions combining. Glenn Middleton escaped down the left flank and his pinpoint cross allowed Hanlan to smash home.

They netted the winner in the 68th minute when Molyneux chased down and dispossessed goalkeeper Cameron Dawson out of his area and then fired into the empty goal.

Dawson denied Neill Byrne a third with a last-ditch save at the back post but the damage had already been done.

Tickets Still Available:


That means adults will pay just £12 for tickets to the fixture, regardless of where they choose to sit.

DONCASTER ROVERS v CARDIFF CITY. / THIS SATURDAY

CARDIFF HAVE 3,000 TICKETS

A big response needed after last week 0-2 to the BLUEBIRDS!!!

Glad we got a week between games after Sats loss, think we will come out playing as always and win 2-0

Frankie Okoronkwo still needs to pass certain hurdles before he can make his Doncaster Rovers comeback.
That's the verdict of manager Grant McCann, who will consult his coaching staff and specifically those in the sports science department before rubber-stamping the Everton loanee's return.

Okoronkwo, 21, made an impressive start to his Rovers career only to see his progress curtailed after picking up a hamstring injury in January. That has seen him sit out the last six games, the latest of which was the 2-1 derby success at rivals Rotherham last weekend.

"Frankie has had two sessions and still needs to hit certain parameters, such as sprint distances," McCann told the Free Press after the derby comeback win, when asked for an update on the striker.

"He's not really opened his legs to a proper sprint yet. He's had lots of high-speed running but when he runs he's probably the quickest player we have. So we need him to get to those numbers before we can think about him."
With no game until Saturday's home fixture with league leaders Cardiff City, this blank midweek represents the perfect opportunity for Rovers to rest and recuperate before a hectic schedule for the final portion of the campaign. The downtime should also allow some of those players carrying knocks and niggles to fully recharge, including Luke Molyneux and Ben Close.

Molyneux, who scored the winner at the New York Stadium, was substituted in the latter stages with what McCann described as "a bit of a cramp" whilst Close was left out as a precaution after picking up "a little knock". Close has only just recently returned to the fold after suffering a collapsed lung over the festive period.
There was also a flashpoint in the wake of Molyneux's goal when Harry Clifton and Jack Senior clashed heads during the celebrations in front of the away end although both men were fine to continue after lengthy treatment before each was bandaged up.

Goalkeeper Zander Clark (thigh) and defender Sean Grehan (hamstring) are the only other absentees in the squad right now.

According to the BBC Isaac could be available
Salech still out

Does anyone know if you will be able to pay on the day?

2700 sold so far hopefully we can get a few more sold before saturday

2700 sold so far hopefully we can get a few more sold before saturday

Cheers

[quote="Sheffield Bluebird"]Does anyone know if you will be able to pay on the day?



Not sure as we might sell out

Updated:

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We should win the next two games, but it won't be easy; they are the type of team that can beat us.

I trust BBM and the team to come up with the answers, and I am looking forward to both.

INCREDIBLE TICKET PRICES / CARDIFF CITY FANS :

3,000 CCFC Tickets Still on Sale for this Saturday:

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INCREDIBLE TICKET PRICES / CARDIFF CITY FANS :

3,000 CCFC Tickets Still on Sale for this Saturday:

Just seen posted less than 200 left be great of we can sell them all

Grant McCann is making the most of a blank midweek, before Doncaster Rovers embark on a chaotic period.

Rovers round off February by welcoming Cardiff City to the Eco-Power Stadium on Saturday. Then, a gruelling period begins with eight games in March that sees them play Saturday-Tuesday continuously, before April begins with the traditional Easter double-header. Rovers' upcoming schedule has been swelled thanks to the re-arranged home games with Luton (March 10) and Port Vale (March 24).

Regarding the meeting with the Hatters, a Rovers statement said that "the decision over the date of the game was enforced by the EFL despite the club putting forward a strong case for a rescheduling more favourable to the team and club."

They also cited the heavy use of the stadium pitch - already showing signs of cutting up amid a stacked fixture list for both Rovers and the Doncaster RLFC team who also play there.

"It's going to be relentless," McCann told the Free Press. "I think we've got ten games on our pitch from the Cardiff match until early April, including the rugby games.

"It's constant games now, right the way through. It's a difficult one because I'm not a groundsman and I don't know too much about it all. But we've got four groundsmen here who all work really hard between the training ground and the stadium to try and make the pitches the best they can be.

"And also, the club have been brilliant in giving them the tools to work. For example the club has bought a new machine to help drain the training pitches. And it's not cheap. Unfortunately the weather is what it is and some pitches are really poor and unplayable at the minute."

Meanwhile, McCann hopes Rovers fans turn up in their numbers this weekend after the club dropped matchday prices to £12 - reciprocating what Cardiff did in the reverse fixture last December.

"I hope the fans can get behind us and support us," he added. "I think this club has always been good at stuff like that, whether it be incentives or doing work in and around the community. So to do that for our fans and Cardiff fans that are travelling a long way, it's really good.

"Obviously they did it for us so I think it was only fair that we did it for them."

“ NOT SOLD OUT DONCASTER AWAY “

IVE SPOKEN TO PAUL CORKY OUR SLO:


“WE HAVE OVER 150 TICKETS LEFT / CAN BE PURCHASED ON LINE NOW “






“ NOT SOLD OUT “

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INJURY UPDATE:


Striker Salech is ruled out still and has had to fly bavk to Copenhagen for personal reasons .


There is also a blow in midfield, with David Turnbull set to miss out after suffering hamstring tightness during the defeat at Home Park. The manager does not expect the issue to keep him out for long, but Saturday’s fixture has come too soon.

BBM: ”ISAAK DAVIES”

On a more positive note, Isaak Davies is back in contention. The forward has missed the last two matches after sustaining a concussion in the away win over Rotherham United, but has trained fully this week.

“Isaak has trained fully this week, so fingers crossed he’ll be available,” Barry-Murphy.

Doncaster Rovers will be without just one senior player for this weekend's home game against league leaders Cardiff City.

Centre-half Sean Grehan remains sidelined with a hamstring injury but otherwise it's a fully-fit squad to choose from for manager Grant McCann. A blank midweek has allowed loan duo Zander Clark (thigh) and Frankie Okoronkwo (hamstring) more time to ramp up training as they each recover from lay-offs.
"Frankie's had a few days training," McCann said. "He's been building on from the back-end of last week with more sessions on the pitch and then more fitness work after training just to top him up.

"It's important - not just for Frankie but any young player - that they learn to know their body but he's in good hands."

On goalkeeper Clark, he added: "He'll be available for Saturday after a good week's training. It's nice to have him back."

Ben Close, who sat out last weekend's derby win at Rotherham, also returns to availability whilst Harry Clifton and Jack Senior can also be called upon. The pair suffered a freak clash of heads in the celebrations from the winner against the Millers: "Both have nice little black eyes and little cuts around their eyes but they're both fine," McCann added. "Ben was just managing a little issue but has had a good week in training so will be in the thoughts for Saturday."

On Grehan, McCann said: "He's just working in the gym to try and keep on top of the rehab side of things so it's difficult to say how long he'll be. He'll just continue to work until we know he's ready to be a part of a session. He's not out on the pitches as yet, though."