- Founded: 1879
- Nickname: Donny/Rovers
- Stadium: Keepmoat Stadium (15,239 capacity)
- Honours: League One Champions 2012-13. Play-Off Winners: 2007-08 Division Three (North) Champions 1934-35, 1946-47, 1949-50. Runners-up (not promoted): 1937-38, 1938-39.
In September 1879 Albert Jenkins, a fitter at Doncaster’s LNER Engineering works, “The Plant,” gets up a team to play the Deaf and Dumb Institute. The game ends up a 4-4 draw and Jenkins and his team-mates decide to form a football club called Doncaster Rovers.
In June 2020 League One clubs voted to end the 2019-20 season, which has been suspended on 13th March due to COVID-19. Earlier, all EFL members had agreed that league placings would be determined by points-per-game (PPG) formula based on matches already played. Rovers were placed 9th with a PPG of 69.88.
League Two – Crewe 2 Northampton 2
Sam Hoskins netted an equaliser deep into stoppage time as Northampton came from behind to secure a 2-2 draw at Crewe.
The Cobblers maintained their unbeaten record as Hoskins’ corner flew straight in for his second goal of the game in the seventh minute of time added on.
It was no more than the visitors deserved after camping in the Crewe half for much of the second period after they were left to chase the game following Courtney Baker-Richardson’s first-half double.
Jon Brady’s side fell behind to a spectacular strike in the 26th minute, with Baker-Richardson dispossessing Tyler Magloire and unleashing a rising drive into the top corner from 20 yards.
When Kelvin Mellor ghosted in from the byline and pulled the ball back, Baker-Richardson was in the right place as the ball was relayed on to apply a simple finish for his second four minutes before half-time.
Northampton halved the deficit swiftly with Kieron Bowie driving clear on the right and cutting the ball back for Hoskins to tap in his sixth goal of the campaign.
The Cobblers went close to levelling on several occasions with Mitch Pinnock firing just past the post before the break and Magloire’s downward header from a corner kept out by Arthur Okonkwo.
Jon Guthrie went agonisingly close against his former club, lunging in to meet a long free-kick, but eventually the pressure told for the visitors.
League Two – Doncaster 2 Salford 1
Kyle Hurst’s first two goals in senior football saw Doncaster come from behind to win 2-1 and end Salford’s unbeaten start to the League Two season.
Salford started much the stronger and took the lead through Brandon Thomas-Asante, who slotted in from close range after 10 minutes.
But Hurst, a summer signing from Birmingham, scored either side of the break to give Rovers a third win from their opening five league matches.
His first came in first-half stoppage time. He received a short corner and sent a chip over the head of Salford keeper Tom King from 20 yards.
Callum Hendry came closest to putting Salford back in front in the competitive contest but was denied by keeper Jonathan Mitchell and defender Ro-Shaun Williams.
It set the stage for Hurst, who was played into space by Lee Tomlin to lash high in at the near post on 63 minutes.
Hendry smashed a ball into the box from the flank which was diverted onto the post in the biggest threat to Rovers’ lead.
Doncaster and Northampton battled out a scrappy goalless draw that did little to aid their aspirations at either end of the League One table.
Both sides struggled for fluidity in a game of few chances, with Rovers staying in the play-off positions and Town lingering above the relegation zone on goal difference.
Northampton keeper Jon Mitchell produced a superb save to tip over a header from Tom Anderson midway through the first half.
The visitors mounted decent spells of pressure without testing Louis Jones in the Doncaster goal.
Taylor Richards drilled a low effort from 25 yards which Mitchell held comfortably before Ryan Watson fired wide from a good position at the other end.
Doncaster dominated much of the second half but met stubborn resistance from Northampton.
James Coppinger, Elliot Simoes and Reece James all had efforts on goal for Rovers.
Mickel Miller almost saw a corner go straight in only for it to be blocked on the line by team-mate Watson.
Rovers pushed for a winner in the latter stages but struggled to force chances on goal.
*in the last 18 games
Games Played – 18
Games Won – 5
Games Drawn – 5
Games Lost – 8
Neil Hair will be the man in the middle when Rovers travel to take on Northampton Town in Sky Bet League Two this weekend.
Hair was added to the EFL list of referees ahead of the 2018/19 campaign and first refereed the Cobblers in 2-1 win away to Shrewsbury in Leauge One in September 2020.
Saturday’s game will be the first he has taken charge of this term, having overseen 32 fixtures last time around, handing out 106 yellow cards and one red in the process.
He will be assisted by Steven Plane and Grant Taylor at Sixfields, Paul Yates is the fourth official.
- Northampton have failed to score in the last three league meetings with Doncaster, the last time they failed to score in four or more in a row against a single opposition was against Wigan Athletic between 2001 and 2018.
- Doncaster have won two of the last six league meetings with Northampton at the Sixfields Stadium (L4), however they did win 2-0 in the last meeting between the clubs.
- Only Manchester City (15) are on a longer ongoing unbeaten run in the Football League than Northampton, with the Cobblers avoiding defeat in each of their previous 11 league games (W7 D4).
- Doncaster’s 2-1 win over Salford last time out means they’ve already earned seven points from losing positions this season, two more than they
