Doncaster Rovers 0
Stevenage 1
League (League Two)

Match report written by Neil Metcalfe, The Comet

Stevenage bounced back from defeat to Northampton Town to snatch victory away to Doncaster Rovers.

Jordan Roberts pounced just past the hayway point of the first half to give Boro the lead in the League Two match and despite some less than convincing defending at times, they hung on to claim a valuable 1-0 win and stay second.

But while the result was most welcome, the performance was not without its problems and those with a tendancy to chew on finger nails would have gnawed off quite a bit by the time the final whistle was blown.

Steve Evans, who was sat behind the press box in the TV gantry, was ruthless with his team selection, making five changes.

In came Luther James-Wildin, Max Clark, Jake Reeves, Jordan Roberts and Arthur Read with Kane Smith, Saxon Earley, Jake Taylor, Michael Bostwick and perhaps most surprisingly, skipper Carl Piergianni, the ones replaced.

The armband went to Terence Vancooten.

The first half would have pleased the Boro boss, his dry shriek only being heard once or twice.

They started the better team, Ale Gilbey having the first shot from distance, and had the ball in the home half for good periods.

There were a couple of nervy moments, the newly-installed skipper slipping being one of them, but he did recover to prevent George Miller from getting through on goal, even if it was a little ungainly.

They were given a huge let-off on 22 minutes with a wonderful bit of vision by Harrison Biggins who spotted Taye Ashby-Hammond off his line from the halfway line.

The chip from distance always looked to be beating the keeper and for a good period, it looked to be heading under the bar.

It didn't though, bouncing off the top of the woodwork and behind.

How big a let-off became apparent three minutes later as the visitors took the lead.

The cross from the left was high and looping and dropped over the heads of the Doncaster centre-halves.

Roberts gambled that it would and stuck it away to the left of Jonathan Mitchell.

That really stung the home side into action and for the next 15 minutes they were firmly on the front foot.

Miller skied a good chance over from six yards and James-Wildin and Sweeney had to make big blocks, the latter using his face unwittingly to turn away another Biggins blockbuster.

But for all that Boro should have gone two-up right on the stroke of half-time.

James-Wildin slid in Reid who shrugged off the attentions of the defender to go in on goal.

He had Roberts to his left but opted for the shot himself.

It was straight at Mitchell though.

The thing was, for all the possession from Doncaster in the first half, it never seemed truly frantic or panicky in the Boro defence.

It was in the first 10 minutes of the second half though.

Rovers' attacks were more dangerous, shouts from Evans were more frequent and there were phone calls to Alex Revell in the technical area.

Max Clark in particular was having a tough time containing Luke Molyneux on the Boro left while it was down the other flank that the home side should have scored until James Maxwell's run was stopped by his own player, Ben Close.

All the action led to a triple substitution with Clark, Read and Reid brough off for Earley, Luke Norris and Taylor.

It did little to stem the tide for a good 10 minutes and Ashby-Hammond had to make a fine double save to keep the rampant hosts from equalising.

A further substitution for the away side saw Piergianni restored to the back-line, Boro reverting from a four to a five.

Doncaster kept creating though and Biggins should have scored when presented with a free header from a Molyneux cross.

Somehow he steered it wide.

Four added minutes gave them some hope, but bar one block from Sweeney, Doncaster could not score.