Nottingham Forest 4-0 Doncaster Rovers
Both teams played poor, but Notts Forest took their chances.
It was a scrappy start by both teams as they sounded each other out although the Rovers were the more offensive minded in the early minutes, winning the first corner of the game after 8 minutes followed by a shot from Forte from just outside the penalty area that was wide. Continuing to have the better of some scrappy play the Rovers, after 19 minutes, should have got the first goal when Forte ran on to a ball in the area rounded the keeper, Gerrard and shot for an empty net only to see Thompson arrive and kick off the line. The first effort by Forest on the Rovers goal came from Curtis on 25 minutes but he put it over the bar from 25 yards. Three minutes later, from a free kick on the Rovers left by McDaid, Forte flick headed goalwards causing Gerrard to go full length to his left to save. With ten minutes to go to the break, Commons decided to have a go from 40 yards but put the ball wide. At the other end a few minutes later, Ravenhill put a volley, following a free kick, high over the bar. The Forest were coming more into the game, with Commons getting in a shot from 15 yards but Budtz handled it easily. After 41 minutes, the Rovers were on the attack again, the ball came out of the Forest defence to Fenton, in the Forest half, he put it through to Heffernan but his twenty five yarder was just wide of the far post. The home team went down to the other end with Taylor crossing from the right for Southall to put wide. Fe3nton then popped up again in the Forest half to crack a shot wide from 30 yards. As the time ran down to the break, Commons launched a Forest attack putting a high shot from the left angle of the area goalwards. Budtz, off his line, had to stretch to tip the ball wide for the home team's first corner of the game. BRECKIN met the corner with a flick header that went wide of Budtz and into the corner of the net for the first goal of the game. The whistle then went for half time.
The home team came out for the second half obviously fired up by manager Gary Megson although it was the Rovers who had the first meaningful attack when the ball reached Heffernan. He took it on and hit a wicked shot from the angle of the area on the right that Gerrard got the faintest of touches to put it over the bar. The corner was cleared and put the Forest on the attack from which they gained a corner on their left. This landed at the feet of THOMPSON in the six yard box and all he had to do was use his knee to put it over the goalline for a second goal after 49 minutes. From the kick off Forte went down the left and hit a screamer that rattled the crossbar, bounced down and away. On 52minutes, Steve Roberts brought Tyson down halfway in the Rovers half on the Forest left. SOUTHALL took the kick and placed it into the danger area, the six yard box. Nobody got a touch on it as it made it's way into the far corner of the net. The Rovers tried to get their act together as the Forest threatened to overwhelm them. With 58 minutes showing on the clock, Coppinger gave the ball to Heffernan, through to Forte but his shot was blocked by Gerrard as he came out, the ball rebounding off Forte and going wide as the Forest goal stood empty. The Forest, still having most of the possession, went down the left with Tyson with just two Rovers defenders around. A cross to the right fell to TAYLOR to volley into the far corner for a fourth goal. Two minutes later Budtz had to go down at Tyson's feet to save at the expense of a corner. The Rovers then made wholesale changes as they introduced their three substitutes. After 73 minutes, Coppinger chipped over the defence for Green to volley goalwards but Gerrard was there again to save. The match then ran down to the final whistle, with the Rovers making no impression on the Forest defence and the Forest coasting to a big 4-0 win.
Although the home team were very poor in the first half they certainly made up for it in the second. What did Megson do during half-time to wake his team up? The Rovers just did not recover from the first goal on the stroke of half time.