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Worse was soon to come for the Cumbrians when they found themselves two goals behind just two minutes later. Rangers loanee Ross McCormack picking up the ball in midfield and making a strong run into the Carlisle box, drawing Williams from his line McCormack finished sweetly beyond the Blues custodian to leave the United players looking shellshocked at their early collapse.
The Cumbrians tried to get straight back into the game and were unlucky in the tenth minute when Raphael Nade headed a Neil Dalton throw-in, on the bounce, straight into the arms of Rovers keeper Jan Budtz. Nade was again in the thick of the action shortly afterwards when good work by Simon Hackney down the left saw Nade shoot on the Doncaster goal from 18 yards out, his effort fizzing just wide of Budtz's far-post.
In the 19th minute James Earl sent a good corner into the Rovers box which Derek Holmes was unfortunate to head straight against the legs of Mark Albrighton, the Doncaster centre-half hacking the ball clear. The home side were playing well in midfield and McCormack went close after 25 minutes when he hammered a free-kick in from fully 30 yards out which fairly flew inches over the Carlisle crossbar. Hackney picked up the ball from the resulting goal-kick and forced Budtz into a good diving save with a fierce left-footed shot across goal from the edge of the Rovers box.
Bang on the half-hour mark and the ever-dangerous Nelthorpe made another good run down the left, pulling the ball back to Adam Brown from the by-line. Brown tried to get a quick shot away on the half-volley but Williams stood strong and was able to push the ball around his near-post for a corner. In the 38th minute the home side almost went three goals to the good when Phil McGuire headed an intelligent McCormack free-kick against the angle of Carlisle bar and post, Williams gratefully collecting the rebound.
Shortly afterwards a series of United corners saw Blues left-back Simon Grand have a good headed chance from a Hackney one in, only to nod the ball straight into the arms of Budtz from close-range. Just as the Cumbrians were looking like they might finally find a foothold in the game their hopes were all but dashed when Doncaster went 3-0 up two minutes before the interval. Brown got away down the right and crossed an excellent aerial ball back from the by-line which Paul Green met with a thumping header as he powered his effort into the roof of the Carlisle net. The Blues almost went down the half-time tunnel 4-0 down seconds later, only for Grand to make an excellent last-ditch tackle as McCormack looked to be running clean through on the United goal.
McCormack and Nelthorpe were straight back at Carlisle two minutes after the break, the two combining with McCormack firing a shot in from 18 yards out which whistled just wide of Williams' far-post. The Blues looked to pull a goal back though, much to their credit as they never gave up the cause, and went close in the 51st minute. Hackney curling in a lovely corner which it looked easier for Grand to score with, only for the ex-Rochdale man to head wide of the Rovers goal, much to his own disbelief.
In the 54th minute some great work by Nade out on the left saw him cross the ball in to Holmes. The big Scot powering in a half-volley from ten yards out which Budtz just managed to parry away from his own net, the Blues unable to knock home the rebound. A goal finally did come for the Cumbrians though after 58 minutes when a ball in to the Rovers box by Luke Joyce found Brendan McGill. The diminutive Dubliner worked the ball well into a crossing position on the left by-line and Nade was well-placed to run in on the ball and place a looping header into the roof of the Doncaster net from 12 yards out.
Shortly afterwards, as Carlisle had a lot more of the play but seemed to have left their shooting boots at home, Hackney saw his free-kick from 22 yards out fly over the Rovers defensive wall but only straight into the gloves of Budtz. The home side were very organised in their defending as well, as they looked to hold on to their 3-1 lead and hit United with their plentiful pace on the break.
The Cumbrians gave Rovers something to worry about in the 80th mintue though when they pulled the score back to 3-2. A McGill free-kick up from the right wasn't properly cleared by a, for once, hesitant Doncaster defence and Nade was able to punt the ball home from close-range to set up what the Blues hoped would be a grandstand finish. Sixty seconds later Nade, looking for his hat-trick, fired in a clear shot on goal but Budtz was able to make a good save away to his right.
That was as close to an amazing comeback as it came for Carlisle though as Doncaster scored two goals in sixty seconds on the 87 minute mark to make the final scoreline a somewhat flattering 5-2 to the home side. Paul Green notched his second on the night and Rovers' fourth when a fierce drive from Nelthorpe pinged back out off the United post. Green was in the right place at the right time though to hammer the ball home from 15 yards out, with Williams out of position after the initial shot. Almost straight from the kick-off Carlisle lost possession which Nelthorpe picked up on as he laid the ball into the impressive McCormack. The Scottish striker ran on towards the Cumbrians box, and eventually powered home a rocket of a shot into the bottom left-corner of the United net from the edge of the penalty area to leave the Blues beaten.
Rovers were really going for it now with the freedom of victory in their step, and they almost added a sixth in the last minute. Paul Green going close to getting a hat-trick when his chipped effort from range cleared Williams only to land on the roof of the Carlisle net. The last chance of the game came the way of the Blues when two United youth-teamers combined in injury time, centre-half Dan Kirkup heading narrowly over from ten yards out after a free-kick in right-back Ashley Combe. The final whistle came soon after and meant that Doncaster had taken the overall Pontin's Holiday League title but that can't detract from the excellent effort by Billy Barr's side to win the Division One West championship in the first place.
Doncaster line-up :
Jan Budtz, Matty Noble, Liam Green, Nicky Gray, Mark Albrighton, Phil McGuire, Adam Brown (Wade Fairhurst 46), Paul Green, Neil Roberts (Craig Sutton 46), Ross McCormack (Jason Hardy 88), Craig Nelthorpe.
Unused substitutes :
Lee Cockerham (GK) and Adam Green.
United line-up :
Anthony Williams, Ashley Combe, Simon Grand, Dan Kirkup, Neil Dalton (Matthew Blake 78), James Earl (Pete Ferris 73), Brendan McGill, Luke Joyce, Simon Hackney, Raphael Nade, Derek Holmes.
Unused substitutes :
Adam Bradley (GK), Billy Barr and Andy Hardman.
Updated Reserve Team Table : Click here
Updated Reserve Team Results : Click here