Rovers & Out

Doncaster Rovers 2-3 Southampton (FA Cup Round Three)

So I chose the right game to go to last night, not putting myself through a miserable watch as a Forest fan, they were beaten by Wrexham on penalties and became the first ‘giant killing’ of the round, today they’ll be more of the same as I head out the door towards Doncaster, who host Southampton, for more FA Cup action.

23rd in League One, Doncaster Rovers have never been as far as the fifth round in the FA Cup, their recent history saw them beat Blackburn in the third round during 2022, before a 4-0 walloping at West Ham a round later, other famous efforts include beating QPR in 1985 when Billy Bremner was Rovers Manager, and a decent 0-0 against Aston Villa in 2009, before losing the replay at Villa Park, when replays were a thing.

Southampton famously won the competition in 1976. A late Bobby Stokes goal seeing off Manchester United in front of almost 100,000 at the old Twin Towers of Wembley. Still celebrated today, literally, the club are even wearing a special retro faded yellow and blue shirt to mark fifty years of that fabulous achievement.

The Saints under Tonda Eckert are doing some serious rebuilding after relegation from the Premier League last season, fifteenth in the Championship they have picked up after a disastrous short spell under Will Still, but are without a win in six, thumped 4-0 at Middlesbrough last time out.

I’m out the door for midday, Donny is only an hour away and it’s one of the easiest grounds to get to from my home in Nottingham, up the M1, M18, A612 White Rose Way, then suddenly it appears, behind a few tasty eateries and modern shopping outlets at the nearby Lakeside.

The Venue

I’ve had Macclesfield and Crystal Palace on the radio in the car, the holders are 1-0 down to the National League North minnows, it’s what the cup is all about, I soon forget about it however, as I park up on Lakeside Boulevard and take the fabulous scenic walk towards the ground, the beautiful man-made lake glistening as dog walkers and football fans mingle around the circular route.

I love how the stadium appears behind a grassy bank, there’s a Lakeside Hill with stunning views which looks a bit muddy to walk up today, as I enter the turnstile, and for the second time in as many days have my pockets searched by security.

Inside at ground level there’s a kiosk serving food with nobody waiting, I’ve ordered a steak pie and Yorkshire tea but they give me a chicken balti which tastes pretty decent, so no complaints, there’s a play area for kids who are kicking soft balls at a dart board, the TV is on, Macclesfield are now two up, football history about to be made? If they win it will be the biggest victory gap between two sides in the competition, I’m standing watching the closing minutes, joined by many others, all wanting the same thing, the holders to get beat by a bunch of part-timers. After all, I repeat, it’s what the cup is all about.

Crystal Palace score a late free kick, but Macclesfield hold on, there’s a few sighs aloud on the final whistle, but most just walk away, I take a bit of it in, a fabulous feat, before making my way up to my seat.

Out in the fresh crisp air, blue skies, frosty glistening pitch in more than adequate condition, red seated bowl like it’s a fairly new ground is the Eco Power Stadium, formerly known as the Keepmoat, it was built in 2006, opened in 2007, and has a record crowd of 15,001 against Leeds United in 2008.

It’s actually like a much smaller version of St Mary’s as I look over to my right and see a huge following behind the goal of Southampton fans, the two sets of teams warming up as the ground half full, begins to create some sort of atmosphere with locals now taking their pews.

The Game

I’m sat in the corner a row off top, with a panoramic angled view of the playing surface, the two teams walk out to round applause, everyone around me is standing up, as I take in awe the yellow vintage shirt of Southampton, against the red and white familiar hoops of Donny.

The Championship side are in no mood to mess, they menace down the left where teen winger Jay Robinson shows promise, he’s bundled one into the path of another Southampton Academy graduate Cameron Bragg, the midfielder fires home to open the scoring, just eight minutes gone.

Southampton look strong, Flynn Downes pulling strings in midfield, Japanese star Kuryu Matsuki next to him showing good movement, nice touches, running a lot, their back three is in control with Taylor Harwood-Bellis given acres on the ball, it’s all very pedestrian by Doncaster, so it’s no surprise when the Saints make it two?

Cameron Archer lets fly a right footed shot from outside the area which is deflected, looping over Lo-Tutala in goal, before Matsuki makes it three, a few minutes before the break, he’s on the end of a Fellows cross, to head down brilliantly home, Rovers fans start to make way in numbers for the beer taps down beneath.

The Score

I hear somebody joke to their mate on the walk back up at half time that ‘were gonna win 4-3’ as folk around laugh, not believing an ounce of it, but Donny’s start is at the races, their second half performance is like chalk from cheese with the dismal first, no changes at the break, just in mentality, front foot, they immediately press, they win a corner down the left, Robbie Gotts floats in, Max Pearson heads home.

Suddenly the crowd are on their side, the noise levels increase, Rovers push and probe some more, Jordan Gibson gets a break, before lashing home a second on the hour, Southampton in a mess, the Rovers fans sing to those on the far side “It’s all gone quiet over there”.

Doncaster give it a good go, as Tonda Eckert looks to shuffle his pack, taking the sting out of the match, he brings on some experienced subs, which improve his side somewhat to a steadying ship, Nathan Wood, Leo Scienza, Ross Stewart and Adam Armstrong giving more strength and solidity to the Saints soul.

There’s pressing until the end as the kids behind me kick chairs and jump up and down in excitement, they are a breath of fresh air in the second half are Doncaster, but they can’t find a leveller, and in the end, the first half costs them their run in the cup.

The Stars

For 45 minutes Southampton looked brilliant, which might have been a shock to their own fans, who at one stage sung “How shit must you be, we’re winning away”.

I was really impressed by the cameo from Jay Robinson down the left, a sizeable thick set teen he has ability, didn’t always make the right choice, but always it seems, tried to make something happen.

In defence, the longer the game went, the more I liked Joshua Quarshie, he’s a player I first saw as a teen playing for Dusseldorf the day after England beat Switzerland in the Euros, he’s a player I liked in size and stature from the off, enough to think he was fit for the English game, which he is.

Quarshie was sometimes shaky on the ball but in defensive duty he reads it well, is physically strong and he knows how to clear his lines with no-nonsense. Next to Taylor Harwood-Bellis who's a little easier on the eye in possession and Nathan Wood, another solid competitor, I’m surprised they aren’t more defensively sound?

Welington looked a lovely forward running full back, typically Brazilian, he can beat a player, or two, or three, perhaps not so good going the other way? Bragg was brilliant in midfield, Downes a solid competitor of high quality, he goes under the radar and for me, is Premier League 'squad' material, I liked the look of Kuryu Matsuki, and am in awe of Southampton’s Japanese scouting success. Already they have had players like Maya Yoshida and Yukinari Sugawara who have done well for them in the past.

For Doncaster, Luke Molyneux reminds me of one of those old-skool wingers that stay at a club for many years, so long that you can define the club by the player himself, perhaps thinking along the lines of a Peter Beagrie once at Scunthorpe, a proper fit, it just feels right him in a Donny shirt, as it does with Billy Sharp, as it did with James Coppinger.

Molyneux has actually only been at the club for four seasons, but he’s played a large amount of games in those years, and is a standout player for Rovers every time I see him play, the one to watch, the one to be weary of, 'keep him quiet and we’ll be ok'. He did well, as he always does, a lively threat down the right, whilst Jordan Gibson did well in midfield, a good engine, a neat footballer, he might have had a late leveller had he kept the ball down following carnage from a last minute corner.

The Verdict

Both teams have their own relegation concerns, Southampton will be trying to avoid the drop, after a tough start to the season under previous boss Will Still, they’ll see the cup as a nice distraction, they should get the points they need to survive, so a day out or two for the fans might be a good way for Tonda Eckert to try a few new things?

Doncaster are well down in League One and I don’t see them surviving in a tough division that has plenty of teams with probably more money and more about them, all trying to do the same. The re-signing of Hakeeb Adelakun from Salford might give their fans something to cheer about, but in 21-year-old Francis Okoronkwo they are reliant on an Everton loanee getting them the goals they need to survive? It’ll be a tough ask for Grant McCann’s men to stay up, but if they play like they did in the second half today, then there’s always a chance, especially if they can get the fans behind them, who I feel, can be a real twelfth man on their day.

The Teams

Doncaster Rovers: Thimothee Lo-Tutala, Jamie Sterry, Matt Pearson, Jay McGrath (James Maxwell 54), Jack Senior (Darren Robinson 84), Owen Bailey, Luke Molyneux, Robbie Gotts (Brandon Hanlon 85), Jordan Gibson (Billy Sharp 76), Hakeeb Adelakun (Glenn Middleton 76), Francis Okoronkwo.

Southampton: Daniel Peretz, Elias Jelert (Nathan Wood 62), Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Joshua Quarshie, Tom Fellows, Flynn Downes, Kuryu Matsuki (Adam Armstrong 87), Cameron Bragg (Caspar Jander 75), Welington, Cameron Archer (Ross Stewart 74), Jay Robinson (Leo Scienza 62).

3:00pm Kick Off. Saturday 10th January 2026, Doncaster Rovers Stadium, Doncaster (att 7,671).