The striker arrived at the Keepmoat Stadium this past summer following his release from Bristol City; however he has struggled to make an impact at Doncaster Rovers since the start of the season, suffering a set-back upon his arrival after picking up a hernia injury in his first training sessions.

Since then, Byfield has moved down the pecking order behind Jason Price, Gareth Taylor, Lewis Guy, James Hayter and Paul Heffernan.

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,

I have been really poorly so not been able to update the site , But I am back now ..

Seems were struggling a little right now I can see a turn around though and light at the end of the tunnel.

After listening to the guys on Sky Sports last night Rovers played really well against Reading but just could not get any points.

You seldom here any pundit knock the quality or style Rovers play there football.

ROVERS TILL I DIE

However, the Rovers players have had the opportunity to keep sharp in a practice game against Leeds United and for others who have featured prominently in the Rovers first four fixtures this term, it gives an opportunity to reflect on how the season has gone thus far.

“Obviously, it has been a big step,” says defender Sam Hird - who is continuing the success he had in the first team at the end of last season into this campaign.

“It’s a bit quicker, but in a strange way our midfielders say that you get a bit more time on the ball. Obviously, with the way that we play football, that is good for our team. Apart from the game against QPR, our midfielders have been absolutely excellent and that plays a big part in why we do so well.”

The recent performances by 21 year-old Hird have continued to earn the Doncaster-born defender plaudits from neutrals and supporters alike. The centre back has made the transformation from fringe player to regular starter - and Sam admits that it’s taken him by surprise also.

“I can’t really believe it to be honest, but the games I played when I was on loan at Grimsby gave me confidence and when I came back, the manager gave me a chance and I took it. I played quite a few games at Grimsby and, to be honest, I didn’t play in my preferred position - I played at right-back. But the spell was about getting my confidence and getting some first team games under my belt. I wasn’t expecting to be in the plans at Rovers at all last season, but the manager gave me a chance for the game against Swindon and I was chuffed to bits. I took my chance and the manager has had faith in me and in keeping me there.”

The Rovers face more tough tests once the domestic fixtures resume after the international break - and Hird admits that every game in this division is a big game.

“The next three games are against Birmingham, Charlton and Bristol City; they’re all going to be good games and going to be hard games. We’ll go into those games with every belief that we can get something from them and see what we can do.”

The first of the next three fixtures sees Rovers travel to St. Andrews to take on promotion favourites Birmingham City - a task that is set to be tough for the defence in particular.

“Against Birmingham, they have strikers like Kevin Phillips and Garry O’Connor, then they have Cameron Jerome and a couple more and if they don’t start; they’ll play in some part so we will need to be focused at all times.”

Saturday, 13 September 2008
Blackburn Rovers v Arsenal, 15:00
Fulham v Bolton Wanderers, 15:00
Liverpool v Manchester Utd, 12:45
Manchester City v Chelsea, 17:30
Newcastle Utd v Hull City, 15:00
Portsmouth v Middlesbrough, 15:00
West Brom v West Ham Utd, 15:00
Wigan Athletic v Sunderland, 15:00

Sunday, 14 September 2008
Stoke City v Everton, 13:30

Championship

Birmingham v Doncaster, 15:00
Blackpool v Barnsley, 15:00
Cardiff v Bristol City, 15:00
Charlton v Wolverhampton, 15:00
Coventry v Preston, 15:00
Crystal Palace v Swansea, 15:00
Derby v Sheff Utd, 17:20
Ipswich v Reading, 15:00
Nottm Forest v Burnley, 15:00
Plymouth v Norwich, 15:00
Sheff Wed v Watford, 15:00

Sunday, 14 September 2008
QPR v Southampton, 16:00

League 1

Bristol Rovers v Walsall, 15:00
Crewe v Colchester, 15:00
Huddersfield v Tranmere, 15:00
Leicester v Millwall, 13:00
Leyton Orient v Stockport, 15:00
Northampton v Peterborough, 15:00
Oldham v Milton Keynes Dons, 15:00
Scunthorpe v Carlisle, 15:00
Southend v Hereford, 15:00
Swindon v Leeds, 15:00
Yeovil v Brighton, 15:00

League 2

Accrington Stanley v Notts County, 15:00
Barnet v Morecambe, 15:00
Bournemouth v Macclesfield, 15:00
Bradford v Exeter, 15:00
Bury v Lincoln City, 15:00
Dag & Red v Chesterfield, 15:00
Darlington v Port Vale, 15:00
Grimsby v Chester, 15:00
Luton v Aldershot, 15:00
Rotherham v Rochdale, 15:00
Shrewsbury v Gillingham, 15:00
Wycombe v Brentford, 15:00

Coventry’s Freddy Eastwood missed from close range with the goal at his mercy but hit the side netting.

Michael Mifsud, Leon Best and Scott Dann also went close for the visitors, with the latter denied by a goal-line clearance from Rovers’ Brian Stock.

Doncaster’s Wellens won the game with a fierce shot which flew into the top right-hand corner.

Goals: Wellens 31.

Coventry: Westwood, Hall (Doyle 72), Ward, Dann, Fox, Tabb, Gunnarsson, Beuzelin, Mifsud, Morrison (McKenzie 69), Eastwood (Best 65).
Subs Not Used: Turner, Marshall.

Att: 11,806

Ref: Rob Shoebridge (Derbyshire).

Teams:

Doncaster: Sullivan, O’Connor, Mills, Hird, Chambers, Coppinger, Stock, Wellens, Hayter, Taylor, Guy.
Subs: Byfield, Lockwood, Woods, Wilson, Heffernan.

Coventry: Westwood, Hall, Ward, Dann, Fox, Tabb, Gunnarsson, Beuzelin, Mifsud, Morrison, Eastwood.
Subs: Turner, Marshall, Doyle, Best, McKenzie.

Referee: Rob Shoebridge