Ebbsfleet bowed out of the cup with a battling performance against a team two leagues above them, Doncaster came to Ebbsfleet with the right attitude and made sure there name wasn’t on the back pages as a shock result.

The game started with Donny taking charge, they had the lion’s share of possession & controlled the game for the first 30 minutes, in the 12^th minute Mathieu Baudry tried his luck from 25 yards but it went over the bar.

Three minutes later John Marquis was put through in the area & his cross/shot from an acute angle fizzed across the area, a minute later Harry Tofolo on the left crossed into the area for Marquis but his header unopposed went just past the post.

In the 18^th minute Matty Blair on the right saw his low cross hacked over the bar by Yado Mambo for a corner, from the resulting corner James Coppinger in the area saw his shot get deflected past the post.

In the 22^nd minute Ebbsfleet finally had a chance when Myles Weston on the left saw his low cross into the area find Anthony Cook but under a hard challenge which could have been a penalty the ball came out to Danny Kedwell & his cross was cleared.

Five minutes later Weston from his own half ran forward to the edge of the area before releasing Luke Coulson on the right & his low cross evaded everyone & eventually cleared.

In the 35^th minute Ebbsfleet went in front when a long ball out of defence saw Nathan Ashmore come out of his area & kick it forward for Chris Bush who challenged Ian Lawlor just inside the area & then Lawlor grabbed at Bush & a penalty was given, Lawlor was only booked but could have seen red, up stepped Captain Kedwell who shot it just a little to his left beating Lawlor.

Two minutes later the stadium erupted when Ebbsfleet went two up, a ball up to Kedwell who instinctly flicked it forward for Coulson who ran into the area & slid the ball past Lawlor.

In the 40^th minute it nearly became worse for Donny as Weston on the left saw his cross pushed away by Lawlor.

Two minutes later a Jack Powell corner found Kenny Clark in space but his header from 8 yards went wide. Half time was approaching & it seemed that both managers would have their half time team talk ready but in the first minute off added on time Donny got a goal back when Blair’s cross into the area found Tommy Rowe who turned & shot home from 6 yards & then in the very next minute they equalised when Blair’s low cross to Rodney Kongolo who from 6 yards saw his shot pushed away by Ashmore but straight to Marquis who steadied himself & the shot in from 4 yards.

The half time whistle went & both managers would have changed their words of wisdom with Donny on the up whilst the Ebbsfleet team would have been deflated after those last two minutes.

The second half saw a confident Donny come out & take control, in the 51^st minute Tofolo into Marquis & from 25 yards his shot went wide.

Two minutes later & Donny were in front when Rowe passed into the path of Coppinger whose shot from 15 yards took a wicked deflection beating Ashmore & ending up in the net.

Doncaster were now in control & in the 79^th minute they increased their lead when Coppinger ran into the area passed to Marquis who laid the ball out to Blair & his low cross to the near post was knocked in at the second attempt by Jordan Houghton from 3 yards.

In the 81^st minute it got worse for Ebbsfleet as Bush was booked for the second time & had to leave the pitch. Three minutes later Marquis was fouled in the area & a penalty was given, up stepped Coppinger & he chipped it into net & then two minutes later they got their sixth when Rowe on the edge of the area shot past Ashmore.

The final whistle went & there was bitter disappointment for Ebbsfleet who had squandered a two goal lead & then in the second half did not have one shot on target, Doncaster came to Ebbsfleet to do a job & that’s exactly what they did & now it’s them who look forward to the draw Monday night.

 

EBBSFLEET UNITED:

1. ASHMORE  4. D.RANCE  6. K.CLARK   7. J.POWELL    9.D.KEDWELL (84)  11. M.WESTON  12. A.COOK (76) 18. Y.MAMBO (58)  24. S.MAGRI   25. L.COULSON  26. C.BUSH

SUBS USED:  29. F.BRANDY (58)  17. S.SHIELDS (76)   2. M.McCOY (84)

SUBS NOT USED:  3. J.CONNORS  10. A. McLEAN  13. J.MILES  19. D.MILLS

BOOKINGS:  4. D.RANCE (2)  24. S.MAGRI (76)  26. C.BUSH (64, 81 )  29. F.BRANDY (88)

SENT OFF:  26. C.BUSH ( 2 YELLOWS)

 

DONCASTER ROVERS:

1. LAWLOR 2. C.ALCOCK (45)  5. M.BAUDRY  6. A BUTLER  7. R.KONGOLO  9. J.MARQUIS  10 T.ROWE (87) 16. J.HOUGHTON 17. M.BLAIR  18. H.TOFOLO  26. J.COPPINGER (84)

SUBS USED:  8. N.MASON (45)  27. I.BEN KHEMIS (84)  22. A.BEESTIN (87)

SUBS NOT USED:  13. M.MAROSI   39. D.AMOS  11. A.WILLIAMS  14. L.MANDEVILLE

BOOKINGS:   1. I.LAWLOR  (35)  7. R.KONGOLO (57)  27. I.BEN KHEMIS (90+2)

 

REFEREE: Mr. L.COLLINS

ASSISTANTS:   Mr. M.WILSON     &   Mr. S.LEWIS

4^th OFFICIAL:  Mr. C.BROOK

ATTENDANCE: 2069

Picture supplied by Richard Brown.