Doncaster Rovers 3 Scunthorpe United 0: Rovers ease to victory in M180 derby

Christmas came early at the Keepmoat Stadium as Doncaster Rovers coasted to victory in the M180 derby against Scunthorpe United.
Rovers v ScunthorpeRovers v Scunthorpe
Rovers v Scunthorpe

Ben Whiteman and Herbie Kane scored in the opening ten minutes to set Rovers on their way to a sixth win in seven games.

John Marquis sealed a routine victory with his 15th goal of the season during the closing stages.

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The low-on-confidence visitors were architects of their own downfall and might have got back into the game with some better finishing.

However, in the end Grant McCann's in-form side completed the job with relative comfort.

The win lifted Doncaster to fifth place in League One ahead of the 3pm kick offs. They have kept five clean sheets in seven games and scored 21 goals in the process.

Rovers burst out of the blocks and Kane and James Coppinger both saw shots blocked following some excellent build-up play.

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Six minutes were on the clock when Mallik Wilks teed up Whiteman on the angle of the box to steer an effort past Jak Alnwick with the aid of a slight deflection.

Scunthorpe went into self-destruct mode just four minutes later when centre back Charlie Goode allowed Kane to steal in and then poke the ball over the on-rushing Alnwick.

Rovers initially sensed blood but the Iron recovered well and had two decent chances during the remainder of a scrappy first period when Josh Morris drilled wide and Matthew Lund missed the target with a header point blank range.

The second half continued in a similar vein to the first as both sides struggled to find any fluency.

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Doncaster were indebted to goalkeeper Ian Lawlor on the hour mark when he scrambled to his left to keep out Lund's close range effort.

Lund also saw a goalbound shot well blocked by Andy Butler, while at the other end Anderson headed into the side-netting and Wilks volleyed over after more good play from the ever-impressive Kane.

Marquis added the gloss on 85 minutes when he ghosted clear and coolly slotted past Alnwick.

Rovers: Lawlor, Cummings, T Anderson, Butler, Andrew, Whiteman, Kane, Crawford (Rowe 75), Wilks (May 75), Coppinger (Blair 87), Marquis. Subs not used: Marosi, Amos, J Anderson, Taylor.

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Scunthorpe: Alnwick, Clarke, McArdle, Goode, Borthwick-Jackson, Perch, Lund, Thomas (Ben El-Mhanni 17), Dales, Morris (Ugbo 73), Novak (Wootton 88). Subs not used: Flatt, Horsfield, Lewis, Burgess.

Referee: Andy Woolmer

Attendance: 7,969 (819)