Doncaster Rovers 0 Stockport County 2 ( Football League 1) Tuesday 20 October 2026

 

 

 

 

Jimmy Mc Nulty`s on form County side surged to the top of League 1 in fine style, last night, with a well worked 2-0 victory away to Doncaster Rovers .

It was a very satisfying win, build on a foundation of almost endless patience that was epitomised by a first half performance that whilst stretching Rovers to the hilt, never gave a conclusive indication, despite almost constant pressure from County, that they were about to put the game to bed.

They left that until the second half, when they uncorked a rare vintage display of football to delight another large travelling contingent from SK3 under the North Stand roof!

It was started gloriously by a superb opening goal scored and constructed perfectly by my M.O.M Mamadou Jobe eight minutes in.

Another 6 minutes and County doubled their lead- as Wootton followed up a rare penalty miss by Ollie Norwood to beat the keeper with yet another nerveless finish.

Jimmy Mac rang the personnel changes thereafter thus a little of the momentum left County`s game, and with another 2 important away game upcoming in short order that, to me, seems to be a sensible approach to keeping the results coming and the promotion push alive.

Well worth the trip, but you will want some detail……..

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I had quite forgotten that Jobe started his odyssey early doors with a prime example of top notch defending as Brandon Hanlon got an early sniff of glory in the County box- he looked dangerous …until he didn`t and Jobe took the ball off him and cleared the danger!

That was 2 minutes in, another 3 and faint hearts amongst those in the away end might have wondered darkly about matters, as a loose ball at the back gave Doncaster a corner, but once more the home specs got overly excited for nothing as County`s defence smothered the danger and cleared their lines.

That was about that, in terms of attacking play from Rovers, as County took charge, as some neat football from Glover and Diamond down the right forced a vital finger- tip save from home keeper Tommy Simkin- that seemed to momentarily inspire Rovers who broke up field only to see their efforts nullified by some cool defending by the black shirted blues.

It continued with Diamond almost in, thanks to a loose ball from the harassed Rovers back line.

Doncaster did rally, 10 minutes in, but their push down County`s left flank foundered on some rock-solid defending by Pye and Osborn.

On it went…..County winning a corner, then not making anything of it. That was not great, but neither was the defending by Rovers who struggled to clear their lines and end County`s forward push.

But there was another moment of anxiety at the `wrong end` as Ollie Whatmuff, with Hanlan and May showing interest, missed an attempted clearance with an air-kick. It might have been a telling moment……it wasn’t as again County`s rear guard met the situation with oodles of calm, cool defending that ended the anxiety almost as soon as it had showed!

Much pressure followed from County, but no goal…..but the away end was up angrily berating Referee Alan Young as he settled upon a yellow for Alfie May after his assault on Whatmuff that laid the lad out for a while.

Maybe Rovers felt the sap rising as Hanlan wheedled a rum free kick from the ref.

It was central – outside the box but well worth a tilt I scribbled! But Rovers made a Tommy Walls of it turning what should have been a significant attacking moment for them into a possible one for County who broke up the park through Bate who then picked out Diamond who set off on one of his seemingly unending runs deep into opposition territory. He was looking good…and then he wasn`t as he was brought down in full flight. “ a free kick !” thinks I…..and it was but for Rovers …and a booking for Diamond to boot!

That was outrageous, cue the first ( of many ) choruses of “ Shit Referee…Ole….Ole !”

Eventually normality resumed – Hanlan looking to show us something but thwarted in the act by superb defending by Eoghan O`Connell who snuffed out what seemed a credible break into the box by the home number 9, laid low by the ball being ushered back to Whatmuff by O`Connell`s excellence.

We went beyond the half hour with County attacking as a dazzling run by Diamond got the away end roaring again, but the chance faded when the ball reached Wood from Diamond and Rovers survived.

We then saw Ethan Pye take centre stage for a while- twanging the woodwork after Norwood had spread play leftwards- County`s number 5 following that up with a dangerous cross that fizzed across the box with no one in black getting to it!

County kept pushing into added time( 3 minutes of it)- Diamond going close, but the teams went in at the break with the score still 0-0.

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County were briefly under pressure when the match re-started after the break, but not for long as Whatmuff relieved the pressure by releasing the ball up the park to where Kyle Wootton gave us a short exhibition of top notch hold up play before picking Diamond out with his pass. Jack was on a run in a flash, before crashing to the ground under pressure from a defender on the edge of the box. He was looking for a free kick, but didn`t get one and …it hurts…but I admit Mr Young was probably correct, but if he was then why did he not second yellow Jack?

That was 5 minutes into the half, another 3 and County had the opening goal they craved -and it had Mamadou Jobe stamped right through it from start to finish.

It started with Jobe combining gloriously with Glover down the right-the duo tearing great swathes out of the home back line at speed- Jobe unlucky to see his shot charged down. On it went though, Jobe again looking for a goal but his shot pushed around a post for a corner by the keeper.

Surely Jobe was done….but no, when Osborn lifted the corner over Jobe met it scoring from close in….County had their first goal and the lead.

Then, within 2 minutes its very nearly 2-0 but a first time fizzer from Diamond went narrowly wide.

But we did not have to wait long to see County double their advantage as, almost on the hour, Diamond & Glover combined seeing Glover surge into the box where he was upended , Referee Young pointing to the spot immediately.

It`s Norwood…it`s 2-0…..err not quite as Simkin, Rovers net minder, kept an under par kick out, but he didn`t hold onto it allowing the ball to run clear being prey to a clutch of advancing County players- Wootton was first amongst equals and put the chance away like a surprise Xmas gift burying the ball behind Simkin`s back in the net!

The away end went AS and rightly so, but Jimmy Mac was busy moving pieces on his vast footballing chess board bringing Fiorini & Dacres-Cogley on for Bate & Osborn.

And still the good stuff flowed from County as a wonderful exhibition of quality football played at maximum speed , by Glover and Jobe almost blew Rovers away- it should have done as Jobe caressed a lovely ball to Diamond- it would be 3-0 for sure, but somehow Jack contrived to completely mess it up lifting the ball over the bar keeping the score at 2-0!

Wootton almost forced Simkin into error next -it was his last contribution as he was replaced by Mika Mandron, Ennis coming on for Glover.

Ennis was soon in the mix- set up nicely as Whatmuff, whose kicking was dreadful match long, found Diamond with a rare gem and, of course , Jack went on a run, ended it with a pass to Ennis who saw his shot charged down !

Diamond was maintaining his form, but still lacked finishing fortune on this occasion, cutting inside nicely  on another run but seeing a decent effort drift wide of the keeper`s far post.

Diamond was substituted next, as Abama Sidebeh came on to wide acclaim from the County fans present, but with 10 minutes left Whatmuff at last had some meaningful work to do ,doing well to keep a shot from Grehan out.

But, despite the personnel changes, County still held the whip hand- Mandron so unlucky with a shot that Simkin somehow got a hand to pushing around the post.

Rovers were trying though, but Whatmuff was able to watch unconcerned as a shot from substitute Isaac Hutchinson curled wide of goal, 84 minutes in.

Three minutes on and the constant urging on of Sidebeh by the County supporters seemed to work as he shrugged off a defender`s challenge before unleashing an effort goalward. Shot….possibly as it was heading for goal…but so was Mandron and the shot reached him smack in front the ball eluding him as he strove to force it home- that’s` the first one Mika`s not put away but he should not be downhearted he`ll score pots full for us if given the chance!

Soon enough we were into added time, still pining for a third goal but denied one- it did not matter we had nipped beyond Huddersfield to the top of League 1- this had been a massive win for County, and a big ..big achievement by Jimmy Mac and his team!

On to Meadow Lane then for more of the same- see you all there!

Doncaster Rovers line up:-

 Simkin , Bailey, McGrath (Adelakun 67), Broadbent (Robinson 76), Hanlan (Keane 62), May (Hutchinson 67), Ayinde (Clifton 76), Byrne, Gotts, McCann, Grehan 

Unused Subs: Oram (GK), Pawlak

 

Stockport County line up :-

 Whatmuff, Jobe, O’Connell, Pye, Glover (Ennis 70), Bate (Fiorini 60), Norwood , Osborn (Dacres-Cogley 60), Diamond (Sidibeh 79), Wood,Wootton (Mandron 70).

Unused Subs: Andrésson, Adigun.

Attendance: 7,202 (981)

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