COVENTRY CITY 1-3 DONCASTER ROVERS
City: Burge, Willis, Pennington, Stokes, Martin, Fleck, Ward, O'Brien (Jackson 78), Samuel, Barton (Odelusi 46), Nouble (Phillips 69), Subs: Charles-Cook, Webster, Turgott, Finch.
Doncaster: Bywater, Furman, Razak (Forrester 22), Main (Robinson 89), McCullough, Tyson (Clarke-Harris 60), Butler, Stevens, Wellens, Wabara, Bennett. Subs: Marosi, Evina, McCombe, Middleton.
HT CCFC 1-0 DRFC
FT CCFC 1-3 DRFC
ATT 8, 699
Goals Dominic Samuel 4, Riche Wellen 50, Jonson Clarke-Harris 71, Harry Forrester 84
Referee C.Boyeson.
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Coventry City allowed Doncaster Rovers to do the double over them by throwing away a lead in the second half.
After wins on the road at Chesterfield and Fleetwood Town, it was back to the Ricoh Arena, with Al Bangura signed on a short term contract, to take on Doncaster Rovers.
This was Legends Day and there was plenty of City Old Boys including members of the 63/63 promotion team around to see Tony Mowbray name a side which saw Jim O'Brien starting against a Doncaster side which had former City loanee Stephen Bywater in goal and the former loanee was picking the ball out of the net in the fourth minute of a game on a cold, grey afternoon when Dominic Samuel raced through and slipped the ball into the net, delighting Tony Mowbray in a black club issue coat and the likes of George Hudson, Bill Glazier, Ian Wallace, Micky Gynn and Chris Cattlin, who gave an excellent speech in the casino afterwards, in the crowd of 8,699
Lee Burge in the goal at the North Stand end had to palm a shot away before Nouble was booked for a foul in the 14th minute.
Two minutes later aand Razak joined him in the book for a foul which led to a free kick, a throw and another corner that Chris Stokes headed wide.
Nouble did well to get in a cross and set up Adam Barton shot which came off the post before Bywater had to collect a deflected shot.
Paul Dickov had Abdul Razak limp off on a pitch which looked not having had a game on it for ten days or so.
In the 28th minute, Doncaster threatened with a well worked move but the chance went begging.
Samuel countered and jinked his way to the edge of the area before O'Brien blasted over.
A foul by Furman on Nouble saw only a free kick given but when there was a foul by O'Brien, he was spoken to.
Burge flapped Bennetts's 40th minute free kick for a corner. That was cleared up to Fleck who was fouled. No action was taken by the Yorkshire based referee who was roundly booed by the City support.
Doncaster, who had dropped down the table following two defeats, had a late flurry but City led at the break.
After the City old boys were paraded on the pitch, Tony Mowbray sent on Samni Odelusi for the second half of a game which saw City attacking the North Stand and Rovers boss Paul Dickov on the touchline in a dufflecoat.
Doncaster won a corner three minutes in and then another thanks to a deflected shot.
That was cleared but in the 50th minute, Doncaster were back in the match when Richie Wellens was allowed inside the six yard box to poke the ball past Burge.
On the hour mark, City youngest ever player in Jonson Clarke-Harris came on as Dave Hockaday came out to issue instructions.
Rovers won a corner in the 65th minute of a game that had gone flat.
It needed a change so Aaron Phillips came on for Frank Nouble who looked clearly out of sorts, having played on both wings and in a lone striker's role.
In the 71st minute, Jonson Clarke-Harris got in a shot, Burge parried but Clarke-Harris was there to bang home th rebound, which he celebrated by taking his red and white hooped shirt and getting booked.
For the last twelve minutes, Simeon Jackson came on but with City not having a shot in the half, the defence were always under pressure and six minutes from time, Arron Martin got caught out and the ball was played across for Harry Forrester to score.
John Fleck did have a shot but his 88thg minute effort was nowhere near the goal and City fans started heading for the exits and many missed Fleck actually forcing Bywater into a save in stoppage time.
There was a "Sisu Out" chant from the City support,some in retro kits, under the scoreboard, who like the rest of the City supporters in the ground who were clearly disgruntled at another defeat and very lacklustre performance against a team that were there for the taking early on.