The two sides who were both relegated from the Championship last season looked poles apart in this League One opener. Doncaster Rovers were dominant throughout and with a little help from some very questionable defending by Yeovil Town they scored three goals at Huish Park to seal a comfortable win.
Yeovil were without winger Kevin Dawson and as a result new captain Joe Edwards was taken out of his preferred central midfield position and was used on the right hand side. This was ineffective all game and it became clear early on. After just 8 minutes Curtis Main was able to chip Glovers keeper Chris Weale having made a strong run after gaining possession from a loose ball. After half time the dominance continued and after 64 minutes Rovers deservedly doubled their lead. Chris Weale had a day to forget and he made a poor decision to gift the away side a second goal. Forrester beat Weale to the ball as he unnecessarily rushed off his line, Brendan Maloney did his best to clear the ball but the midfielder made no mistake. Due to a clash of heads, 7 minutes of added time was played, although Yeovil could have played all night and not scored with substitute James Hayter hitting the cross bar for the hosts. That is as good as it got for the Glovers as in the last minute of stoppage time as Theo Robinson got s deserved goal, lobbing Weale once again.
A great start for Rovers who played some nice football and looked like a team, it was a thoroughly professional performance. The Glovers, on the other hand, have a lot of work to do if they are to compete at this level. They were second best in all areas and there was a lack of leadership and communication on the pitch. It was a reality check for Yeovil, but Doncaster will be optimistic after a rather turbulent summer.
Yeovil Town
| Chris Weale A poor performance. Looked shaky, did not communicate with his defence. At fault for the second goal due to poor decision making. | 5 |
| Brendan Maloney Worked hard, but was too easily pushed off the ball. Tried to be attacking and was the most impressive in a very poor defence. | 5 |
| Jakub Sokolik Was a towering presence but too slow, did not communicate with the team and looked weak during set plays. | 5 |
| Aaron Martin Worked extremely hard, was strong in the air and covered for Sokolik on many occasions. Cleared an effort off the line, but struggled with the pace of Doncaster. | 6 |
| Liam Davis Looked lively going forward, but did not deal with crosses and was too slow in the build up to the third goal. | 5 |
| Joe Edwards Was out of position and struggled on the wing. His creativity was missed in the middle. No real leadership as captain but looked better second half when he returned to central midfield. | 5.5 |
| James Berrett Fully committed and made some very strong tackles. Lacked creativity and his play was somewhat predictable. | 5.5 |
| Simon Gillett Was head and shoulders above every Yeovil player, was at the heart of every attack and he read the game well. His skill was clear as he could easily beat his man with his neat footwork. | 8 |
| Sam Foley Started very slowly and was easily pushed off the ball. Improved as the game progressed, looked dangerous on the wing and should have taken a shot more often. | 6 |
| AJ Leitch-Smith Had no service throughout the match, but worked tirelessly. Did not look too much of a threat due to being very isolated. | 5 |
| Kieffer Moore Struggled all game. Lacked movement and should have done better when the ball fell to his feet. Worked hard but clearly low on confidence. | 5.5 |
Substitutions
| James Hayter Hit the post soon after his introduction and still looked dangerous. Was not on long enough to make a real impact. | 6.5 |
| Sam Hoskins Linked up well with Hayter during one attack, but got lost soon after. Was difficult introduction as Rovers enjoyed a lot of possession. | 5 |
| Nathan Ralph Has not played competitively for a year, but looked strong and comfortable on the ball. Gave Town some width and will hope for a start in the Carling Cup on Tuesday. | 7 |
Doncaster Rovers
| Jed Steer Comfortable debut with little to do. Was confident with set plays and crosses but will not have many easier games. | 7 |
| Reece Wabara Sam Foley caused him a few problems down the left hand side, he did not look entirely comfortable, but is gaining valuable experience. | 6 |
| Luke McCullough Looked strong and commanding in his position. Very comfortable on the ball and made it difficult for Yeovil. | 7.5 |
| Rob Jones Truly professional performance. Was a match for Kieffer Moore who really struggled against him. Was a leader on the pitch. | 8.5 |
| Cedric Evina Easily dealt with Joe Edwards and was a threat on the counter attack. Solid debut. | 7.5 |
| James Coppinger Consistent strong performer. Was at the heart of every attack and lead by example on the pitch. Professional captains performance. | 8 |
| Dean Furman Played his part in an impressive midfield. Was creative and always quick on the attack. | 8 |
| Paul Keegan Had a positive partnership with Furman, confident when in posession and worked hard when without the ball. | 8 |
| Harry Forrester Impressive attacking performance which deserved a goal. Was a great finish and he was at the heart of all Rovers attacks of which there were many. One assist and one goal in his first match back in League One, a force to be reckoned with. | 9 |
| Curtis Main Looked strong from the start and made no mistake with his early goal. Caused Yeovil all sorts of problems. | 8.5 |
| Nathan Tyson Looks to be a good signing. Very quick and Yeovil had to foul him in order to stop him bursting forward. |
8.5 |
Substitutions
| Theo Robinson Made an impact when he came on and scored the third goal. Will be looking to get a start next time out. | 8 |
| Marc De Val Ferandez Had a 15 minute run out and didn’t make any mistakes. Was able to slot in to a comfortable team. |
7 |
| Kyle Bennett A late substitution but again fitted in to the team well. | 7 |
Man of the Match
| Harry Forrester A strong return to League One and shone throughout the match. With one assist and a goal, it was the perfect first match for him. He will cause defences a lot of problems and will add to his goal tally. | 9 |
