IT may be a quiet week for clubs in The Championship and the top flight with no fixture this weekend but Doncaster Rovers' management still paid special attention to an otherwise seemingly meaningless friendly yesterday.
Sean O'Driscoll took a side to Leeds United and it was filled with first team squad players who haven't been featuring a deal in side.
It included Jason Price, who has had only one pre-season game, and new signing Darren Byfield, who got among the goals.
The striker has played just 10 minutes when going on last Saturday against Coventry - his first appearance in a Rovers shirt after being injured in his first training session with the club.
Defender Adam Lockwood was also back in action whilst Paul Heffernan and Mark Wilson, neither of whom have started a league game, also had a run-out.
In addition, Stuart Elliott, John Spicer and Martin Woods played whilst Ben Smith was in goal.
What do you think? Post your comments below."What we liked was the attitude and the workrate shown by all the players involved," said Rovers assistant manager Richard O'Kelly.
"You look for that sort of thing in games like this - look for how players react - and they all had the right attitude."
Price made a delayed start to pre-season following an operation to clear up an ankle injury sustained in the game at Tranmere in March.
He played in only one warm-up game pre-season, against Port Vale after which he needed more treatment and rest.
An injection to reduce the inflammation eventually did the trick and Price has been back in full training for around a fortnight without any adverse reaction and was back yesterday.
Byfield injured his groin on his first day with Rovers and finally got into the action as a late substitute last Saturday when the 31-year-old striker signed from Bristol City played for 10 minutes.
The game was three 30 minute sessions and Rovers emerged 3-2 winners with goals from Byfield, Elliott and Toni Ameobi.
O'Driscoll and O'Kelly later took in the Stoke City v Aston Villa reserve game at the Britannia Stadium.
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