My first report in a while and I thought, before the 85th minute it was going to be difficult to write, but man on fire Tom Bradshaw put lead in my pencil and gave me at least 2 moments to shout out in ecstasy.
I turned up to the game having missed a few through (holiday/weddings) with the optimism that I usually turn up with and the first five minutes gave me confidence enough that I was going home with a 3 point smile as the saddlers started the better side. With Demetriou and Etheridge back from international duty it was the Cypriot who had the first chance for Walsall as he stole in from the right to meet Andy Taylor's excellent cross but, with the ball slightly behind him and a defender climbing all over him , his volley flew over from eight yards.
Doncaster almost took a tenth-minute lead as Richard Chaplow's cross was met by a spectacular bicycle kick from Rovers skipper James Coppinger that Etheridge parried away, with Paul Downing stopping Curtis Main from tapping in the loose ball, a save which I loved, long time.
Sawyers then put Bradshaw through on 18 minutes with a great pass but super Toms big toe was about an inch from connecting with the ball which was gathered up by the visiting keeper who collected with relief.
Doncaster came close to breaking the deadlock eight minutes before the break as James O'Connor was penalised for a foul on Main just outside the box and Etheridge did superbly to react quickly enough to tip over Aaron Taylor-Sinclair's rocket of a free-kick.
Half time and with Pistol Pete sunning himself in Crete, it was a lonely 15 minutes :(
I turned up to the game having missed a few through (holiday/weddings) with the optimism that I usually turn up with and the first five minutes gave me confidence enough that I was going home with a 3 point smile as the saddlers started the better side. With Demetriou and Etheridge back from international duty it was the Cypriot who had the first chance for Walsall as he stole in from the right to meet Andy Taylor's excellent cross but, with the ball slightly behind him and a defender climbing all over him , his volley flew over from eight yards.
Doncaster almost took a tenth-minute lead as Richard Chaplow's cross was met by a spectacular bicycle kick from Rovers skipper James Coppinger that Etheridge parried away, with Paul Downing stopping Curtis Main from tapping in the loose ball, a save which I loved, long time.
Sawyers then put Bradshaw through on 18 minutes with a great pass but super Toms big toe was about an inch from connecting with the ball which was gathered up by the visiting keeper who collected with relief.
Doncaster came close to breaking the deadlock eight minutes before the break as James O'Connor was penalised for a foul on Main just outside the box and Etheridge did superbly to react quickly enough to tip over Aaron Taylor-Sinclair's rocket of a free-kick.
Half time and with Pistol Pete sunning himself in Crete, it was a lonely 15 minutes :(
SKY BET LEAGUE 1 - HALF TIME
WALSALL 0 - 0 DONCASTER
After the break, the game became end-to-end again as Coppinger forced another superb finger-tip save from Etheridge with a cracking strike from 20 yards, but after letting 5 in against Uzbekistan in the week, the saddlers new number 1 was in no mood to give up his clean sheet today.
Just after that Taylor cut in from the left and with his right foot ! cracked a low drive towards the bottom corner that was foiled by a fine diving stop from Stuckmann.
The game looked like it was going to end nil-nil but on 85 minutes Sir Thomas Bradshaw came up with a goal that put me in some pain !! At this point may I tell you that i am currently nursing 2 cracked ribs due to a children's park incident a week ago so when Bradders volleyed in a Van Basten style shot into the opposite corner of the goal my initial reaction was one that put me in agony.
The little bugger did it to me again in added on time when he audaciously chipped a 6ft 4 Stuckmann after he had beat the offside trap via a Jordan Cook through ball.
So as I sit here with my pint of Guinness writing this report, spare a thought for the happy, bald headed man with his aching side day dreaming of Tom Bradshaw x
Just after that Taylor cut in from the left and with his right foot ! cracked a low drive towards the bottom corner that was foiled by a fine diving stop from Stuckmann.
The game looked like it was going to end nil-nil but on 85 minutes Sir Thomas Bradshaw came up with a goal that put me in some pain !! At this point may I tell you that i am currently nursing 2 cracked ribs due to a children's park incident a week ago so when Bradders volleyed in a Van Basten style shot into the opposite corner of the goal my initial reaction was one that put me in agony.
The little bugger did it to me again in added on time when he audaciously chipped a 6ft 4 Stuckmann after he had beat the offside trap via a Jordan Cook through ball.
So as I sit here with my pint of Guinness writing this report, spare a thought for the happy, bald headed man with his aching side day dreaming of Tom Bradshaw x
SKY BET LEAGUE 1 - RESULT
WALSALL 2 - 0 DONCASTER
GOAL | Bradshaw (85' & 90')
ATTENDANCE | 4,127 (392 Doncaster)
REFEREE | Mr. Kevin Wright
BY | Cory Lees | @corylees