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James Coppinger was the hero of the afternoon as his superbly taken injury-time free-kick put an end to Doncaster Rovers recent slump of successive defeats.
Just shy of making his 800th appearance for the club, Coppinger’s golden moment secured a well-earned point for his side in a scintillating 3-3 draw at the Keepmoat Stadium.
It was an opportunity missed for visitors Hull City, as they lost further ground on leaders Lincoln City in a game that they looked to have had wrapped up by half time. Picking up from where they had left off from thrashing Wigan in midweek, the Tigers played with confidence and swagger as Grant McCann’s men took complete control of the game by half time.
Midweek hat-trick star Wilks, opening the scoring in the 19th minute as he headed in at the back post following a superb set-piece delivery from Callum Elder. The striker was at it again minutes later to put City two goals up on 24 minutes. After a flowing move across the pitch, Greg Docherty whipped in a dangerous cross from the Hull left that Wilks nodded past Balcombe in the Rovers goal for his fifth goal of the week and 14th league goal of the season.
With Hull looking more than comfortable with their two-goal advantage, some uncertain goalkeeping from Matt Ingram had encouraged the home side back into proceedings. Ingram had already looked a little shaky with crosses into the box and as Omar Bogle’s header was cleared off the line, the ball found its way back out to Reece James, who reduced the deficit with a superb first-time strike from 25 yards out.
Hull continued to play some outstanding football and looked every inch an automatic promotion outfit as they sailed into a 3-1 lead. Doncaster were still fragile at the back and it was another Honeyman set-piece delivery that caused the damage. Jacob Greaves leapt highest to meet his in-swinging corner on 28 minutes to grab his first goal for the club.
Considering Rovers manager Darren Moore had made his name in the game as a no-nonsense centre half, he looked a forlorn figure on the touchline. Another whipped in cross just before the break presented Keane Lewis-Potter with the chance to make it 4-1 but he could only head straight at keeper Balcombe.
Having been so dominant in the first period, it was Hull’s failure to keep their foot on the pedal after the restart. Having introduced John Bostock into the game at half time with Moore proclaiming at full time that his side “needed a footballer”, Doncaster started to find more rhythm in their play and get a foothold in the game.
It still remains a mystery as to why Bostock has had so many clubs during his career, but on the evidence of his 45 minutes yesterday, he could be a real asset for Darren Moore going into the final third of the season. The ex-Toulouse and Crystal Palace midfielder orchestrated things with from the base of midfield his simple but effective passing as Rovers dominated possession.
As they grew in confidence, all began to go wrong for City who became increasingly frustrated with referee Charles Brakespeare’s puzzling decisions as the half wore on. The Hull bench was incensed with the booking of Greg Docherty, who having been refused physio treatment, was brandished a yellow card as he limped off the field to add further insult to injury.
McCann felt decisions continued to go against City and you could sense the frustration levels rising with the fourth official getting the brunt:
“The second half was bizarre for me. There were decisions made that absolutely baffled me, my staff and my players.” – Grant McCann
Those feelings continued as against the run of play, Lewis-Potter missed a gilt-edged opportunity to put the game to bed. Seizing on a bad pass from keeper Balcombe, the teenager could only lift the ball against the post with the goal at his mercy. It was a chance Hull were left to rue.
As Doncaster’s Taylor Richards became an ever-growing influence on the game also with his willingness to go at the Hull defence, it was his run and ball into the box that resulted in Josh Sims being hauled down for a penalty on 68 minutes. Omar Bogle converted emphatically to give Rovers a real fighting chance of rescuing a point.
With tensions running high and Hull reduced to ten men following George Honeyman’s neck injury, the script was written for 40-year-old James Coppinger as Rovers went in search of an equaliser.
‘One moment of magic’ echoed from the touchline as Doncaster staff encouraged their players on to grab an equaliser and it was Coppinger that heeded the call. Having designed the Rovers gold kit for the afternoon (to commemorate his 17 years with the club), the Doncaster legend rolled back the years with a peach of a free-kick to tie the game in the twelfth minute of injury time.
From fully 25 yards out, Coppinger curled the ball over the wall and into the top right-hand corner to send his teammates and coaching staff into rapturous elation. The only disappointment was the absence of fans to take the roof off the Keepmoat in the glory of a moment that encapsulated the beauty of our game.
“For the day, the occasion, the player, the moment and the well-struck free-kick, it was so fitting for it to have been James Coppinger who scored that”
“He didn’t let the moment overawe him, he kept his composure, he kept his calm and he struck the free-kick so well to secure a great point for us.” – Darren Moore
As Moore was delighted with the point, which felt like a win given the late drama, he will be hoping that his side can build on the platform of ending their run of three successive defeats. Their character and never say die attitude was commendable as their patience with the ball got its just reward in a spirited second-half showing. With three games in hand over their rivals, Rovers can capitalise and move into the automatic reckoning.
Grant McCann must still be scratching his head as to how his side managed to concede a game which at half time, looked as though it would be a matter of how many his side scored after the break.
“We should have been out of sight in the first half with two cleared off the line and we were the team in the ascendency.”
“We were creating chances at will every time we went forward and felt like we were going to score every time we got a set play.”
“We went away from things we were doing well in the first half, our press wasn’t right and we lost a bit of intesntiy in our game” – Grant McCann
What’s more concerning for the Hull boss will be the nasty looking neck injury George Honeyman sustained in the dying moments. His absence will be a huge blow given his form as arguably the best midfielder in the division and going into Tuesday nights game against Ipswich, Hull could be without their entire first-choice midfield with skipper Richie Smallwood also sidelined.
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