Barnes punishes late Rovers lapse (From Stroud News and Journal)

Barnes punishes late Rovers lapse

Forest Green 1, Doncaster Rovers 2 AN 88th minute goal from Paul Barnes condemned Forest Green to a slightly unlucky home defeat by second-placed Doncaster at The Lawn on Saturday.

But had they just taken a couple of the chances they created in the first hour, Rovers could easily have collected all three.

Doncaster had snatched the lead with virtually their first real chance in the 45th minute, but Paul Grayson wiped out the lead with a smartly-taken strike in first-half injury time.

And Rovers might easily have established a two goal lead early in the second half as Grayson was twice denied by Doncaster keeper Andy Warrington who also pulled out a superb save to keep out a goalbound effort from Kayode Odejayi.

Unfortunately, Rovers lost their direction and momentum once Grayson went off with a hamstring injury in the 67th minute, allowing Doncaster to take control.

But it still looked odds-on a draw until one moment of hesitancy by defender Steve Jenkins two minutes from time cost Rovers dear, Barnes nipping in to beat Steve Perrin from close range to steal the points.

Until that last 20 minutes Warrington had been by far the busier keeper and the main reason that Doncaster were still in contention when it came to that decisive finale.

After a mundane opening ten minutes when neither side made much headway he denied Rovers an early breakthrough after a move that began at the other end.

Perrin collected a flighted free-kick from Francis Tierney to throw the ball out to Martin Foster.

He made ground and hit a penetrating crossfield pass to Alex Meechan who brought the ball down and sent in a sniping low shot on the turn but Warrington dived to his right to palm the ball against the post and behind for a corner.

Odejayi's glancing header from the flag-kick was deflected for a second corner from which Gary Owers lobbed a shot over the bar and although Doncaster responded with a brief spell of pressure they failed to make much impact and for the rest of the half Rovers held sway.

Foster had a firm volley deflected wide and Darren Jones headed the resulting corner over the angle of bar and post, while Warriner was forced to punch a Jones header clear and then race out to head into touch as Odejayi pursued a Grayson through ball.

Jones was again denied when he controlled a Meechan cross beyond the far post before firing in an angled shot that Warriner managed to block, but as the first half edged into injury time, Doncaster broke out to snatch an undeserved lead.

Rovers failed to challenge lanky defender David Morley as he made ground on the right and he made the most of the opportunity, taking the ball towards the box and unleashing a raking 22 yard shot that whipped low past Perrin's flailing right hand and inside the far post.

It was an unwanted setback right on the interval, but Rovers quickly put things right. Meechan was fouled as he broke just inside the Doncaster half and when Jones drove the free kick high into the box Odejayi headed down and Grayson held off a challenge to hook a ten-yard shot beyond Warrington.

Grayson had a great chance to put Rovers in front just two minutes into the second period when Foster curled a perfect cross into the box, but with a free header just eight yards out the striker directed it straight at Warrington on the line.

Nine minutes later Grayson had a further chance to give Rovers the lead. Foster found Owers on the right and when he crossed to the near post, Grayson turned neatly only to see Warrington block his close-range shot from a tight angle.

Doncaster then brought on former West Brom striker Don Goodman for Robert Gill, but they were again indebted to Warrington for a superb save to stay on terms.

This time Odejayi burst through on to Grayson's astute through ball to hit a dipping shot on the run which the keeper acrobatically tipped away at full stretch.

The visitors showed their first signs of turning the tide with two dangerous attacks inside a minute as the game went into its final quarter.

First Tierney crossed cleverly from the right for Jason Blunt to see his 10-yard volley blocked and then Perrin did well to beat away a similar effort from Barnes.

Grayson's departure in the 67th minute with a hamstring strain left Rovers without an effective target man although Owers went close when he hooked a shot inches over from a Jenkins throw-in.

But that was Rovers last real chance to take the ascendancy as Doncaster suddenly took control of proceedings.

Barnes suffered bad luck in the 77th minute as he pounced on a long throw-in to chip a delicate angled lob over Perrin only to see the ball glance down off the bar and come out off the upright before Jenkins hacked it off the line.

With Rovers under mounting pressure and looking increasingly uncertain at the back, Doncaster sensed that the points were still there for the taking, but it took a moment of complete defensive carelessness to rob Rovers of a deserved draw.

There seemed little danger as a long high punt forward dropped towards the right of the home penalty area. But Jenkins let it bounce over his head and in a flash Ricky Ravenhill skipped round him to head across goal for Barnes to bury a five-yard shot past a helpless Perrin on the line.

One momentary lapse was all it took and it came too late for Rovers to mount any significant response, Doncaster playing out time to come off with a slightly fortunate three points.

Forest Green: Perrin, Jenkins, Jones, Richardson, Langan, Foster, Owers, Sykes, Meechan, Grayson (67, Cowe), Odejayi. Subs (not used): Allan, Adams, Cook, Giannangelo. Doncaster Rovers: Warrington, Ryan, Morley, Doolan, Tierney (80, Green), Barnes, Gill (57, Goodman), Beech (71, Albrighton), Ravenhill, Foster, Blunt. Subs (not used): Marples, Nelson. Referee Fred Graham (Essex) Attendance: 987.