A mild afternoon greeted the team from East Anglia, Ipswich Town, who are the visitors to the Keepmoat Stadium for the very first time. It’s a teatime kick-off, 5.20 to be precise. The Rovers made three changes to the starting line-up. Gareth Roberts is injured, John Spicer drops to the bench and Mark Wilson drops out. Paul Heffernan, Shelton Martis and James Chambers started the game in their places. The Rovers defended the South Stand end in the first half.
Ipswich kicked off and went on to the attack for the first three minutes. The Rovers successfully defended and launched their own attack, with Price and Heffernan combining and winning a corner. After a goalmouth scramble another corner was gained. Nothing came of that and Ipswich followed suit a few minutes later by winning successive corners, which were successfully defended. With ten minutes gone Sullivan was called into action, saving well, under challenge, when Volz crossed from the right. The next ten minutes were played out in midfield as each side sought to gain the initiative. On 20 minutes, a corner to the visitors on their right caused mayhem in the Rovers goalmouth, with an Ipswich header deflecting off a defender on to the bar before being cleared by a desperate Rovers defence. Back came the Rovers to win a corner on their left. Woods swung it over to the right of the penalty area where Wellens volleyed wide of the near post. After 25 minutes, Volz was cautioned for deliberate handball but Woods put the free kick straight into Wright’s hands from 25 yards. Minutes later and Quinn, for Ipswich, had a 25yarder saved by Sullivan. Quinn then cut in from the Ipswich left five minutes later and hit a piledriver from the angle that Sullivan tipped over the bar. Ten minutes from the break and Wright was in action when a cross from the Rovers right bounced high in the Ipswich area. He punched it away before chasing and catching it on the edge of the area, with his feet outside the line and foiling Heffernan. Ipswich then saw Norris, booed every time he touched the ball, have a shot from 20yards that Sullivan saved saved comfortably. On 40 minutes Norris had a better chance when, following a raid down the Ipswich left, he headed wide from 7yards in the middle of goal. Two minutes later and Ipswich were punished for that miss when the Rovers were awarded a free kick on their right when Heffernan was fouled. Mills, at the far post, headed back into the middle where MARTIS headed into the net from close range. This goal marked the end of the Rovers record barren spell of six home games without scoring a goal. They tried to press home this advantage but the interval came with just the one goal scored.
The Rovers set the second half in motion, with both sides going at it hammer and tongs. Five minutes in and the game exploded when Mills fouled Norris and Bruce tried to exact his own justice. Mills and Bruce were both booked. The battle was well and truly on, mainly in midfield over the next minutes. Just past the hour and Stock fired over from 30yards followed a couple of minutes later by Wellens doing the same from a similar distance. On 65 minutes, Garvan went down the Ipswich left and crossed to the far side of the penalty area where Ambrose hit a left footed volley that Sullivan tipped over. The Rovers were enjoying good possession at this stage. A shot from Woods from 15yards was deflected on to a post and eventually cleared. Counago, just on the field for Ipswich, had a header to a cross from the right saved by Sullivan and Woods fired over from around 30yards. After 82 minutes, a great run by Spicer down the Rovers left, leaving a trail of Ipswich defenders in his wake, was finished with a shot that had Wright sprawling to his right to save. Five minutes to go and Ipswich tried to salvage something from the game. Counago headed inches the wrong side of a post from a cross from the left by Stead. Stead was then just wide with a thunderous shot from the right and a corner to the visitors was headed over. Despite four minutes of added time the Rovers defended stoutly and in the closing minutes kept possession of the ball well, with Taylor getting in a shot from 20yards that was well wide.
At last the Rovers have emerged victorious getting just reward for their display against a team just outside the play-off places. All the players played their part but Mills stood out in defence with a terrific display and Stock ruled midfield. A great win that should give all Rovers supporters a fillip whether here today or watching on television.
Teams - ROVERS - Neil Sullivan; James O’Connor, Sam Hird, Matt Mills, Shelton Martis; Richie Wellens, Brian Stock, Martin Woods, James Chambers; Jason Price, Paul Heffernan
Subs used - John Spicer for Hird 57mins; Lewis Guy for Heffernan 76mins; Gareth Taylor for Price 83mins;
Subs not used - James Hayter, Stuart Elliott
Cautions - Mills,
Ipswich Town - Richard Wright; Richard Naylor, Jon Walters, Kevin Lisbie, Veliche Shunulikoski, Owen Garvan, David Norris, Alan Quinn, Alex Bruce, David Wright, Moritz Volz
Subs used - Darren Ambrose for Quinn 54mins; Jon Stead for Walters 54mins; Pablo Counago for lisbie 71mins;
Subs not used - Pim Balkestein, Shane Supple gk
Caution - Volz, Bruce,
