Doncaster Rovers host Notts County at the Eco-Power Stadium this Saturday. Neither side have had the start to the season they would’ve hoped for with minimal points on the board for either team, making a win this weekend all the more important for both sides.
Doncaster managed to lift themselves off the bottom of the table with their draw against Mansfield and now sit 23rd just above Colchester.
Rovers’ disaster start began at home to Harrogate Town. Doncaster had 12 shots but only three on target and deep into the second half Jack Muldoon converted his penalty. Rovers were unable to reply, slumping to the 1 - 0 loss on opening weekend. The first away trip of the season did not fare much better for Doncaster. The trip to Newport was a performance to forget with a goal from Seb Palmer-Houlden, a brace from Will Evans and an own goal from Richard Wood gave Newport the 4 - 0 win. Along with the start of the season, Doncaster drew Hull City in the First Round of the League Cup. Despite a fast start from Hull with a goal from Oscar Estupinan in the third minute, a brace from George Miller gave Doncaster the 2 - 1 win.
In the midweek match Doncaster hosted Mansfield Town. Thomas Nixon gave Doncaster the lead after 20 minutes but the score was level going into halftime thanks to a Louis Reed goal. Doncaster once again took the lead through Joe Ironside but the points were shared when George Maris equalised minutes later, leaving the score line at 2 - 2.
Notts County come into this weekend 15th in League Two on four points, the last of the teams on four points.
Notts County’s first game back in League Two didn’t quite go to plan when the trip to Sutton United ended in a thrashing. Joseph Kizzi scored in the second minute before Notts County went down to ten men under 15 minutes with Aidan Stone’s red card. Before Notts County could respond, Sutton United had raced into a four goal lead. David McGoldrick’s goal was merely a consolation goal as Sutton picked up a 5 - 1 win. However, Notts County did pick up their first win of the season against Grimsby. Goals from John Bostock, Jodi Jones and Daniel Crowley gave Notts County the 3 - 2 win and all three points. Notts County’s League Cup campaign finished before it really started as goals from Sean Roughan and Lasse Sorensen as well as a red card for County’s Aden Baldwin gave Lincoln City the 2 - 0 win.
Notts County travelled to Morecambe for their midweek match. Neither team could find the back of the net or manage more than one shot on target in the 90 minutes, finishing 0 - 0 and with a share of the points.
Doncaster and Notts County have met 57 times in their histories, with the two sides being very evenly matched. The Rovers have won on 25 occasions whereas Notts County have won 24 times, with the remaining eight games ending in a share of the points. Their last meeting came back in 2018, but based on the proceedings so far this season, it’s more likely that the points will swing the way of Notts County.