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AS IT HAPPENED
1:39pm
Good afternoon and welcome to the Chronicle’s live text coverage of Barnsley’s game at Doncaster Rovers from 3pm.
1:39pm
Team news is due at 1.45pm. Mael de Gevigney and Adam Phillips are out injured.
1:45pm
Barnsley: Cooper; Rooney, Roberts, Shepherd, Watson, Kelly, Connell, Bland, Yoganathan, McGoldrick, Cleary. Subs: Flavell, Vickers, Russell, Ogbeta, Farrugia, Graham, Keillor-Dunn.
1:51pm
Doncaster: Lo-Tutala; Grehan, Pearson, O’Riordan, Senior; Broadbent, Bailey; Gibson, Clifton, Molyneux; Sharp. Subs: Lawlor, McGrath, Hanlan, Nixon, Middleston, Crew, Gotts.
1:57pm
Top-scorer Davis Keillor-Dunn has been benched for a league game for the first time since signing at the start of last season. Jake Rooney will make his league debut while Vimal Yoganathan starts for the first time since being sent off against Bolton in August.
2:01pm
The Reds are currently 11th in League One, with 18 points, seven off the top six and five clear of the relegation zone – having played the fewest games of any side with 12.
2:06pm
Conor Hourihane’s team are winless in their last five league games but won 3-2 at home to non-league York City in the FA Cup on Saturday.
2:12pm
Doncaster are two places below Barnsley on goal difference.
2:14pm
Having won League Two last season, Donny won five of their first seven games this season and were second in September – only off top on goal difference.
2:19pm
But they have taken just two points from their last seven games, the most recent being a 1-1 home draw with Reading before they won 2-1 at League Two Crewe in the FA Cup.
2:19pm
Today’s game is Barnsley’s only league fixture between the loss to another neighbour in Rotherham on October 25 and the home game with Luton Town on November 22.
2:25pm
Hourihane told the Chronicle: “It has been a bit tricky from that point of view. “With that Northampton game being off now, I think we’ll be three games behind some teams which isn’t easy because you see other teams playing when we’re not and you want to get that momentum and consistency in your game.
2:26pm
“We’ve had loads of cup games which have gone OK to keep that feeling going. But it’s important on Saturday to get a good performance from the lads because there’s a big gap between the Rotherham game to Doncaster to Luton and to get points on the board is going to be important.”
2:27pm
This is a fourth successive all-Yorkshire clash in league and FA Cup games for the Reds who drew at Bradford, lost to Rotherham and beat York.
2:31pm
“Bradford was positive, Rotherham in terms of performance for large spells was positive – I know the result wasn’t what we wanted – York we won in a different type of way. “If we get a good performance, more than anything, it gives us a chance to get the result we want.”
2:40pm
Doncaster’s manager is Grant McCann who played for the Reds between 2006 and 2008 while his son Bayley is on the books at Oakwell but on loan at Alfreton Town.
2:43pm
Hourihane said: “I have been at a couple of games this season where I’ve seen him and we spoke a couple of times about players over the summer. “He plays the game in an attacking way and he’s had real good success in League Two and League One. “I see him as a young bright exciting manager still. I think he plays the game in the right way.”
2:46pm
Hourihane used a back three against York but said he will stick with a back four. He said: “A back four gets us more attacking players on the pitch. It’s something we’ve really focused on, me getting the role in the first place and the club wanting to go in that direction. It’s something we practised tirelessly over pre-season and it’s important to stick to the plan.”
2:49pm
Doncaster defender Matty Pearson spent the 2017/18 season with Barnsley while Reds midfielder Patrick Kelly was on loan to Rovers last season from West Ham.
2:49pm
Kelly told the Chronicle: “During the off-season, if I was going on loan, I would probably be going back there because it made the most sense from West Ham’s point of view and my point of view as well. A couple of things panned out differently over July and I decided a permanent offer would be the best for me and that’s when the Barnsley one came around.
2:49pm
Kelly added: “It will be a bit weird going back as an away player but I am looking forward to it. “They have really good players like Owen Bailey and Harry Clifton. They have a very strong midfield for the league and so do we so it will be a good battle. We have had similar form, starting well and then dropping off. “It’s a big game for us to kick on our league form before the international break.”
2:59pm
The players are on the pitch, we've had the Last Post, now the football will start
3:00pm
GAME UNDERWAY
3:01pm
Watson right-back, Rooney left0-back, Yoganathan on the right wing, Cleary left, Kelly behind McGoldrick
3:02pm
So Jake Rooney, a centre-back who has played a league in 798 days, is at left-back against Donny's star winger Luke Molyneux
3:03pm
Connell almost puts McGoldrick through but it's intercepted at the last second. Could have been offside anyway
3:04pm
Immediately Molyneux beats Rooney easily and gets a cross in but it's cleared
3:04pm
Good Cooper save v Sharp
3:06pm
Rooney has already been eaten easily twice by Molyneux. Second one sees him cross to Sharp who is denied by Cooper then then next shot is put across goal
3:08pm
Patrick Kelly wins Barnsley's first corner.
3:09pm
Cleary corner from the left, headed by McGoldrick but straight at the goalkeeper
3:11pm
McGoldrick cuts inside and shoots well wide
3:11pm
Decent spell for the Reds after Donny were on top in the opening five minutes
3:13pm
Cleary with a good run and cross on the left but it's through both McGoldrick and Yoganathan
3:14pm
14 Roberts throw cleared after a bit of a scrap
3:15pm
Brilliant move by Barnsley. Reyes back heels a one, two to McGoldrick who beats a man then slips in Yoganathan who smashes well over from 20 yards out
3:16pm
Now Cleary shoots wide from distance after beating Sean Grehan
3:16pm
Molyneux too fast for Rooney again and wins a corner on the right
3:17pm
Cooper drops the corner but it's cleared
3:17pm
The ball is recycled and George Broadbent's shot is blocked behind by Shepherd for another corner on the right
3:18pm
Gibson hits the post for Doncaster after a corner was cleared. He shot from the edge of the box
3:20pm
Cleary against Donny right-back Grehan also a mismatch at the moment. He wins corner on the left and takes it
3:20pm
The corner is scrambled out
3:21pm
Roberts' long throw headed out
3:22pm
Decent move by Donny then Gibson shoots over from about 22 yards
3:23pm
Decent game. Both teams playing good attacking football
3:23pm
Doncaster win a free-kick about 25 yards out towards the left
3:24pm
Cooper punches the free-kick away and ex-Red Matty Pearson takes a whack but he gets up quickly and will carry on
3:27pm
Cleary wins a corner off Grehan
3:27pm
Cleary corner headed out for Barnsley throw on right
3:28pm
Roberts' long throw is headed out by Gibson who was clattered by Shepherd and the referee gives a foul
3:29pm
Another nice Barnsley move building out from the back ends in a Watson cross which is caught by the goalkeeper
3:31pm
Doncaster again have joy on the right wing and Molyneux tees up Harry Clifton but he scuffs horribly over
3:34pm
GOAL!
Vimal Yoganathan opens the scoring
3:35pm
His first EFL goal, I think. Cleary finds him with a lovely pass and he keeps his composure to cut past a defender and find the bottom left corner
3:38pm
GOAL!
Luke Molyneux levels within minutes
3:39pm
Gibson completely undoes the Reds defence with a kung fu kick over the top of them, Sharp beats both centre-backs and plays in Molyneux for a simple finish on the right of the box
3:41pm
Rooney then concedes a free-kick for a foul on the left on Molyneux
3:42pm
Connell heads out the free-kick
3:42pm
Scramble in the Reds box with a couple of shots blocked. Donny buoyant
3:44pm
Big chance for the hosts but Owen Bailey cannot get enough power on a header form a right wing corner and it's saved easily
3:44pm
Now Goldrick wins a corner on the left
3:45pm
Cleary corner over everyone and out
3:46pm
Two added minutes this half
3:48pm
HALF-TIME: Doncaster 1, Barnsley 1.
4:04pm
Donny replace Grehan with Tom Nixon and Barnsley bring on Ogbeta for Rooney
4:05pm
SECOND HALF UNDERWAY
4:06pm
Cleary beats Nixon twice on a run down the left and his cross is put behind for a corner on the left
4:07pm
Corner cleared then, from the next cross, Yoganathan's looping header is tipped over by the goalkeeper
4:08pm
The next corner is cleared
4:09pm
Molyneux wins a corner on the right after Ogbeta blocks his cross
4:10pm
Gibson's corner goes over nearly everyone and hits the foot of the huge Connor O’Riordan at the back post then goes wide
4:11pm
Big chance for the hosts. A long ball puts Gibson clean through after getting the better of Watson and he shoots past Cooper but it trickles wide of the right post
4:13pm
Connell corner from the left is headed out by Gibson
4:14pm
Cleary again runs down the left into the box and clips the ball up, the goalkeeper punches and McGoldrick is ruled offside as he tries to collect
4:15pm
YELLOW CARD
Vimal Yoganathan booked for cynically pulling back Clifton
4:16pm
Free-kick blocked then Kelly takes a shot to the head. There was a foul by Barnsley a few seconds later but not sure if he's given that free-kick or stopped for head injury
4:17pm
That seemed to stun Kelly and he's gone to the sidelines but he'll continue
4:17pm
Drop ball given to Donny then Molyneux cross blocked by Ogbeta who is dealing with him better than Rooney
4:18pm
DKD getting ready to come on
4:20pm
A few Donny crosses into the box, Barnsley just scramble them out
4:21pm
Grant McCann volleys a water bottle down the touchline in frustration after a misplaced pass on a Doncaster attack
4:22pm
Keillor-Dunn on for McGoldrick
4:23pm
Huge chance for Donny. Nixon's low cross to the right is met at the back post by Senior but he puts it back across goal when he should score a few yards out
4:26pm
Now Sharp is played in by Molyneux but his scuffed effort is straight at Cooper
4:27pm
Donny having a good spell of dominance now and Barnsley just hanging in there
4:28pm
GOAL!
Davis Keillor-Dunn scores off the bench
4:30pm
Fantastic by Kelly against his old club. Superb feet to play his way into space then he drives feared and picks out DKD who finds the bottom left corner from just outside the box. Completely against the run of play but who cares?
4:31pm
Doncaster win a corner on the right
4:32pm
Poor corner headed out by Bland at the near post
4:32pm
Doncaster bring on Robbie Gotts for Harry Clifton and Glenn Middelton also comes on for Jordan Gibson
4:34pm
YELLOW CARD
Roerts concedes a free-kick on the left wing and is booked
4:35pm
Left wing free-kick headed over by Owen Bailey
4:36pm
Ogbeta's shot deflects almost into the path of Keillor Dunn but it goes out for a corner on the right
4:37pm
Connell corner headed out
4:37pm
Donny bring on striker Brandon Hanlan for defender Matty Pearson
4:40pm
Barnsley bring on Neil Farrugia for Yoganathan
4:42pm
Cross from the left headed very high in the air by Hanlan and caught by Cooper
4:45pm
Doncaster think they should have a penalty. Sharp is through and goes to ground after contact by, I think, Watson. Nothing given
4:45pm
Grant McCann booked for his reaction to that
4:48pm
YELLOW CARD
Molyneux beats Ogbeta who drags him down and is booked.
4:48pm
Molyneux's free-kick from the right is over everyone and out
4:50pm
Donny lose the ball on an attack and Reyes sprints about 60 yards down the left before he's tackled and it's a throw on the left
4:50pm
Six added minutes
4:52pm
Barnsley so close to what would be a massive win. They have been the second best team but they won't care
4:52pm
A few Donny crosses cleared
4:54pm
Barnsley win a free-kick and the clock is ticking down
4:55pm
Barnsley win a disputed throw-in decision
4:55pm
Ogbeta foul throw.
4:57pm
FULL-TIME: Doncaster 1, Barnsley 2
