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A response was desperately needed
from the management and the players
after last weeks shocker at
Sheffield United and both parties
delivered as Rangers rolled over
Doncaster Rovers by two goals to
nil. A new formation and a better
attitude worked wonders as the
visitors were totally nullified and
constantly picked apart by the R’s.
There had been much message board
conjecture during the week about
whether Dowie would need to bin the
4-4-2 formation to get the best out
of the players he had at his
disposal. He switched to a 4-2-3-1
with Cerny in goal behind and back
four of Ramage, Hall, Stewart and
Delaney. Mahon and Leigertwood sat
in front of them with three
attacking midfielders in Ledesma,
Parejo and Cook supporting lone
striker Blackstock. Skipper Rowlands
could only make the bench.
There were plenty of nervous fans in
the ground as the game kicked off
given the sluggish starts made
against Barnsley and Sheffield
United. Goals had been conceded
after four and three minutes
respectively in those games so it
made for a pleasant change when
Rangers hit the front inside five
minutes themselves.
Referee Thorpe awarded the first in
an everlasting string of soft free
kicks when Parejo tumbled on the
corner of the box. He took the kick
himself and whipped in a devilish
ball that bamboozled the Doncaster
defence, as Sullivan stood rooted to
the spot Blackstock strolled in to
volley home from three yards. He
immediately ripped his black armband
off and kissed it in his own tribute
to his late strike partner Ray
Jones.
Rangers now needed to capitalise on
the start they had made and keep
things tight at the back for the
next ten minutes or so. Hall and
Stewart were repelling all boarders
at this point with Stewart in
particular looking in top form. He
was outstanding throughout the
ninety minutes and looked a far more
secure option than Gorkss. With
Leigertwood and Mahon doing sterling
work in front of them it meant that
the attacking players could get on
with trying to cut through the
visitors.
The new formation was taking a bit
of getting used to by the players.
Blackstock was working manfully up
top but too often found himself
isolated with the support being a
little too far away. When it came to
getting the ball down though, Rovers
were getting a chasing from Ledesma
and Parejo in particular. Left back
Roberts was getting mugged time and
again by the Argentinean wide man
and if he had managed to get close
enough to him I am sure he would
have tried to kick a lump or two out
of him!
Blackstock nodded a weak header at
pristine keeper Neil Sullivan
following a cross from Cook before
Rangers pit a dazzling passing move
together that nearly added a second.
More slick passing ended with Ramage
rampaging down the right and
swinging in a superb ball that
Parejo attacked. The Spaniard
bulleted a header over the bar, he
will be disappointed that he didn’t
find the target as it would have
been a sensational goal.
Just before the half hour mark
Rangers doubled their lead and I
doubt there will be a more popular
goal this season. Doncaster conceded
a free kick ten yards inside
Rangers’ half and whilst they
trotted back Leigertwood got on with
it and fired a superb pass into the
path of Ledesma who had caught the
Donny defenders napping. Roberts was
left for dead as he burst between
Mills and Hird, killed the ball on
his chest and coolly slotted past
Sullivan before diving into the
crowd! Referee Thorpe booked him for
his over exuberance but I doubt he
gave a monkey’s!
Dowie immediately withdrew Fitz Hall
who had managed to get himself
injured for a change and sent
Connolly on in his place. Hall might
start running Mathew Rose close for
the Man of Glass award, I suppose we
should be grateful that he had
managed almost two and half games
(not including him being taken off
injured in the first game of course)
without some part of him going
twang! The change made no
difference; Connolly slotted in with
the minimum of fuss and was
excellent for the rest of the game.
Damion Stewart should have opened
his account for the season when
Ledesma fired a free kick toward the
far post. Stewart made good contact
but didn’t direct his firm header
far enough wide of Sullivan to force
him into anything more than a
routine save. Ledesma himself was
next to have a go as he contorted
himself to try and get a bicycle
kick on target but only managed to
duff it into the ground.
Parejo fired a couple of long range
free kicks wide of Sullivan’s goal
before Blackstock made a mess of a
header when Parejo picked him out
with a corner. The game was all but
over as the whistle sounded for half
time; Doncaster hadn’t been allowed
to get going. They passed it around
well enough in midfield but any time
they went for the killer pass they
found a virtually impenetrable wall
of six players blocking their path.
Doncaster managed to muster a shot
in anger shortly after the restart
when James Coppinger managed to
wriggle through and crack a low shot
into the side netting. Cerny looked
to have it well covered. The Czech
keeper would probably have been
hoping for chance to impress the
fans that have given him a hard time
to date but in truth he would have
probably been better served bringing
a book of Sudoku puzzles out with
him so underworked was he.
The game wasn’t much of a spectacle
now; Rangers were playing within
themselves and keeping Donny at arm
length whenever they looked like
they may threaten. Ledesma had
another effort at goal when Rangers
won a free kick five yards outside
the Rovers box. Sullivan again
wasn’t troubled as the effort flew
over the bar. Ritchie Wellens
managed to get a shot away from all
of thirty yards but Cerny threw his
cap on it.
Dowie made his second change of the
game when he sent Balanta on in
place of Cook. Cook looks to be
struggling a bit at the moment which
is understandable having been
cooling his heels for the best part
of a year. He seems a little unsure
of himself, not as willing to take
players on. His delivery remains as
good as ever and I am sure that with
another four or five games under his
belt he will start picking up
again.
Balanta slotted into an attacking
midfield role and he went close
minutes after coming on as a loose
ball fell to him and he curled an
effort just over the bar. Dowie’s
final change came twelve minutes
from time as Parejo made way, having
been booked for mouthing off to the
ref, and Rowlands came on. Mahon
immediately gave him the armband
only for Rowly to hand it back two
minutes later!
Delaney, in his usual role of
playing just off the front man,
fired a shot over the bar before
Balanta came close to scoring a
beauty. He had managed to skip his
way past three Doncaster challenges
but as things opened up before him
he tried to beat one more man
instead of getting his shot away.
The shot was blocked when it
eventually came. Rowlands then also
bashed one miles over the top as the
game drew to a close.
This was a comfortable and routine
win for Rangers. The visitors
threatened little and weren’t given
the opportunity by some excellent
defending. When Rangers attacked
Parejo and Ledesma were at the hub
of everything good that happened and
there was precious little Doncaster
could do to contain their movement
and incisive use of the ball.
The cup game against Carlisle on
Tuesday night may afford the
opportunity for some fringe players
to get some game time under their
belts but I would suggest that
sticking with the new formation is
the way to go. If we are going to
stick with it, and you would think
that with the number of midfielders
we have we will be, then everyone
needs to know how they fit into it.
simon@qprnet.com |
