Connor Wickham hit his first senior hat-trick as Town continued their resurgence under Paul Jewell with a 6-0 destruction of Doncaster at the Keepmoat Stadium, the Blues’ first ever win on Rovers turf. Sam Hird’s own goal set the Blues on their way with Wickham netting his three, one a penalty, and Colin Healy and Gareth McAuley one each.

Jewell made the expected changes to his side, Colin Healy replaced the injured David Norris in the central midfield three and Jason Scotland came in for Tamás Priskin up front. Andy Drury was included in the 18 for the first time since signing from Luton on the final day of January.

Grant Leadbitter was given the captain’s armband, while the home side were without star striker Billy Sharp with a rib injury.

On a fast pitch showing signs of a heavy afternoon’s drizzle, Márton Fülöp was forced into the game’s first save in the fifth minute when he was out bravely to block from James Coppinger, Damien Delaney having given the ball away on the Town left.

The Blues were close to going in front in the 11th minute when Doncaster failed to deal with Martin’s cross with the left but Wickham twice failed to get a serious touch on the ball at the near post and Rovers keeper Gary Woods claimed.

Town had started the stronger side and on 18 Martin wasn’t far from seizing on a mix-up between James O’Connor and Woods, the keeper just managing to grab the ball ahead of the Blues midfielder.

Four minutes later Scotland lashed wildly over the bar, then at the other end Rovers skipper Jon Oster shot wide from the edge of the area.

On 24 a corner on the Town left was eventually nodded back out to Jimmy Bullard by Gareth McAuley and the on-loan Hull City man’s shot deflected wide. From the resultant corner the ball was played out to Leadbitter 25 yards out and the stand-in skipper’s goalbound shot was blocked.

A Town goal seemed only a matter of time and in the 25th minute it finally came. Bullard sent in a corner from the right and, after another blocked Leadbitter shot, Wickham played the ball back in, Sam Hird challenged with McAuley for the high ball but looped it over the advancing Woods and over the line as a crowd of players chased it in.

The goal had been coming and the Blues quickly went looking for more, a defender’s boot helping a Scotland shot over the bar as the game reached the half hour mark. From the corner, McAuley couldn’t get a significant touch on the ball as it flew across the six-yard box.

In the 33rd minute it was two. Scotland harried Hird as the defender looked to deal with a Delaney ball over the top, the earlier own goal scorer only succeeding in feeding Martin on the Town right. The winger sent in an inch-perfect first time ball to Healy advancing into the box and the former Cork City man angled a low shot past Woods for his first goal for the Blues.

The second Town goal briefly seemed to wake the home side up and in the 38th minute, after a spell of pressure following a corner, James Chambers hit a strike from the edge of the area which deflected wide. Two minutes later, a Coppinger cross almost found Paul Keegan but Fülöp was out to claim

But on 42 it was 3-0 to the Blues. Colin Healy was given an age to take a shot from 25 yards out, hitting a well-struck effort which Woods could only parry out to Connor Wickham, who slammed home his third goal of the season from the right of the area.

As the game moved towards half-time, Coppinger’s low 35-yard shot gave Fülöp little problem, referee Mark Halsey blowing his whistle moments later to boos from the home fans. To their credit after the initial reaction, many Rovers fans applauded their beleaguered players down the tunnel.

Town were good for their three-goal lead, having created numerous chances against a Doncaster side lacking a serious attacking threat in Billy Sharp’s absence and having had several calamitous moments at the back.

The own goal was certainly preventable with keeper Woods coming off his line for a ball that Hird was also attacking, while the own goal scorer was also culpable on the second, although Martin did well to put in such a quick ball to Healy, whose finish was similarly deft.

The Irishman also played a significant part in the third with his shot difficult for keeper Woods given the slippery conditions. Wickham finished with the confidence of a player on a run of goalscoring form.

Doncaster boss Sean O’Driscoll sought to tighten things up at the back at the break, replacing James Chambers with Wayne Thomas, scorer of a wonder goal for Southampton against Town in the FA Cup last season.

The first chance of the new half fell to the home side, skipper Oster crossing from the left and midfielder Keegan arriving late at the far post but putting the ball wide.

On 55 Mark Wilson shot wide as Doncaster began the half positively. Town were happy enough to let the South Yorkshireman take the game to them and were generally successful in frustrating them well up the pitch and were looking a threat on the break when they got on the ball.

Town made it four in the 61st minute with Connor Wickham’s second of the game. The 17-year-old had won a corner on the left and when Bullard’s corner was half-cleared to the just inside the box, it was Wickham who was there to chest the ball down and stroke it through a crowd of players and into the net.

On 63 Andy Drury was handed his debut for the Blues and his first appearance in the league for any club as the again excellent Lee Martin made way.

Two minutes later it was five. Grant Leadbitter won a freekick deep on the left, which Bullard whipped to the far post and McAuley headed home for his third goal of the season.

Wickham headed Edwards’s 68th cross straight at Woods with the Blues now looking like they might score again with every attack.

The chances gradually started to dry up with Town’s evening’s work more than done, although on 73 Wickham shot wide from 25 yards on the left.

Tamás Priskin replaced Jason Scotland and then Jaime Peters took over from Grant Leadbitter as the match moved into its final 10 minutes, Mark Kennedy taking the captain’s armband.

With nine minutes left, Damien Delaney shot wide, then on 86 Healy headed Bullard’s freekick over at the far post when he should have scored.

The home side might have pulled a goal back in the 89th minute but Fülöp somehow managed to block from Keegan at point blank range after a loose ball had run to the former Bohemians man almost on the goalline. From the resultant corner, the Hungarian keeper again did well to stop the ball from crossing the line as several Doncaster players tried to bundle it home.

In the final minute Doncaster defender Sam Hird completed his nightmare evening by pulling Wickham down in the penalty area. The 17-year-old confidently buried his kick to the keeper’s right to complete his first ever senior ha-trick.

Soon after, referee Mark Halsey’s whistle went to prevent any more misery for the home side. The second period had been much the same as the first with the Blues dominant going forward and Rovers looking likely to concede at any moment and rarely threatening at the other.

Town grew in confidence with every goal, Connor Wickham particularly so, netting the Blues’ first hat-trick since Jon Walters netted three in the 6-0 victory over Bristol City at Portman Road in November 2007.

It was the first time Town had scored six away from home since the 6-0 hammering of Swindon at the County Ground in April 1999.

It was the kind of performance where it‘s difficult to name a man of the match with everyone putting in a fine display, keeper Fülöp even making a couple of saves at the end.

But as the Blues players and management celebrated in front of the nearly 800-strong Town support, it was Connor Wickham’s name resounding around the Keepmoat Stadium having grabbed the first of what will almost certainly be many hat-trick balls.

Town: Fülöp, Edwards, Kennedy, Delaney, McAuley, Leadbitter (Peters 80), Bullard, Healy, Martin (Drury 63), Wickham, Scotland (Priskin 77). Unused: Lee-Barrett , Smith, Civelli, O’Dea.

Doncaster Rovers: G Woods, Hird, O’Connor, Chambers (Thomas 46), Friend, Wilson, Keegan, Mills (Souza 87), Oster, Coppinger, Shiels (Burge 70). Unused: Sullivan, Kilgallon, Webster, Grayson. Referee: Mark Halsey (Lancashire). Att: 8,448 (Town: 781).

Story syndicated from TWTD.co.uk

Photo: Action Images

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