Doncaster Rovers 3-3 Ipswich Town

I love playing Ipswich. I usually leave the ground after the match with a grin on my face, and today was not an exception.

This was the third time I had ever seen Ipswich Town. When we were a League Two side I saw us take-apart the Championship side in a Carling Cup tie. It was a superb performance, and one that will stick in my memory. I witnessed potentially the best solo goal I have ever seen from Jermaine McSporren that night, and it was also one of the best atmospheres I witnessed from the Belle Vue' Pop.

Last season we met Ipswich with ourselves tied down to a lowly position in the table. We were winless in 13 games, and had just bought a new centre back, Sheldon Martis, on loan from West Brom. The relief from that victory was the seeds of our great escape that we executed after christmas.

Those two matches had one main factor in common, they were both Rovers win. Unfortunately after today I can't say the same.

I think we were below par today. Yet there isn't a single individual that I will point the blame at. I think the absence of Brian Stock was a loss. We lacked a defensive midfielder, and Hird was playing too defensively to really be compared. It was 5-3-2 rather than the diamond formation. There was a large space between the midfield and the defence, and that is why the scoreline happened.

I've come back to comments of 'what a great match', but to be honest I thought the first half was a pretty poor spectacle. We weren't at our best, but took the lead through Wade Fairhurst. It was a mess-up by Richard Wright in the Ipswich goal who dropped the ball straight to Fairhurst who performed an over-head kick after the bounce.

Fairhurst is probably going to play in the Premiership. I know I've said that before, and Matt Mills or Paul Green look like living up to my expectations. But he is aware, has a good pass, can hold up the ball and obviously can shoot. He is Sharp's ideal partner, and from what I saw today he is better than Billy.

We were the worse side in the first half. For long patches, we sat back and allowed Ipswich to come onto us. I saw Cardiff last time out, and I'm drawing similarities between those two teams. They seem to lack power in the shot, they struggle to get beyond our strong, organised defence and both rely on goal mouth scrambles if they want to find the net.

The latter was how Ipswich got the goals they did today. All three goals were from corners. For their first goal, the ball was played across goal and Jack Colbeck was able to send a shot into the bottom corner.

For most of the second half we dominated. The goal came against the run of play. We were cruising in fact, we just got caught out at a set piece - which has happened all to often this season.

Our second was also beautiful. A corner at the other end was played to edge of the box, and Martin Woods found the corner. It was a fantastic strike. I've seen too many of Woods' shot go over the cross bar, but he kept it down and it was a pleasing site. The problem is, we've always had a man on the edge of the area, for the best part of three seasons - why have we never passed to that man before? I have been told about Gary Brabin, who used to play for us. He used to stand on the edge of the box and it would be played to 'Sumo' and he was slot it away everytime.

It was a furious few minutes. As we took the lead we made changes. We took Fairhurst off to a warm applause from the crowd, and also Sam Hird. On came Quinton Fortune and Dean Sheils. Attacking minded changes, presumably decided before we had retaken the lead.

Straight from the kick-off Ipswich won another corner, and Thomas Priskin was there to header the ball beyond Neil Sullivan who dived the wrong way. Then suddenly they had the lead. Another corner (notice a patten), and the ball was poked in beyond Neil Sullivan by Lee Martin at the near post. A defensive mix-up which presumably the substitutes had effected.

When the whole of the ground were stunned and dejected, believing that any result was now potentially beyond them, Sean O'Driscoll would have been at fault for the result, and his subsitutions having a really bad effect. We were winning when Fairhurst went off, and now we only had one striker on the pitch. But O'Driscoll went from villian to hero in the 84th minute, when the best goal of the lot was scored.

Subsitute Quinton Fortune found the ball at his feet on the left hand side of the penalty area. The veteran conned the defender and jinxed inside. Launching a shot at goal. His celebration tells a story. He ran to the touchline and jumped on one of the coaches. The goal meant the world to him, as it did to the supporters.

It would have been three points dropped in a game we dominated for large spells. As it was it was only two, which is still bad. But as Mr O'Driscoll we can still 'take a lot of positives from the defeat'.

In the words of Harry Redknapp, "Is this Real Madrid?"

"I said to Joe Jordan after about six minutes - 'Is this Real Madrid?'" is potentially the ultimate tribute in football. And for it to be said about my club, it left me blushing but undoubtedly proud of my team, particularly if you put it into context - it was after a 5-1 defeat.

It is probably naive for me to think that Harry Redknapp's words will stay with me forever, but it is certainly a fate that I didn't expect when playing Conference football seven years ago.

I remember being sat at the Tottenham match, unhappy with our manager's team selection, but perhaps more dissappointed that my previous blogs had reached an anti-climax; with that praise maybe they weren't?

That match took place on 26th August. So it has certainly been a long spell to reflect, and obviously includes Deadline Day.

On 1st September, Doncaster concluded their long pursuit of a striker of outstanding quality (hopefully), with the loan signing of Sheffield United's Billy Sharp.

It would come of no surprise to me, or many other Championship followers, if this turns out to be the signing of the summer.

Sharp's form at Scunthorpe United warranted a switch to Sheffield United. He netted 56 goals in two seasons in a formidable partnership with Andy Keogh at the Irons, but his superb form hasn't been repeated at Bramall Lane. So it falls to Sean O'Driscoll to shape the resurrection.

A difficult task for the former Bournemouth manager? Especially when you look at his record of signing strikers. Tired and tested, failed and flawed is a common and developing pattern being noticed by even the less estute of Rovers' fans.

According to the statistics, goals have always been Rovers' downfall. Doncaster were promoted in 2007-08 from League One, and due to the injury problems of Paul Heffernan (who incidentally was signed by Dave Penney), the club's leading scorer that season was James Hayter, who notched up less than ten goals.

With Heffs out of the side until Christmas the following season, with a fall out with the manager believed to be the cause, after the play-off semi-final, Rovers until January, were the lowest scorers in the entire Football League.

Now I don't want to turn this blog into a moan at James Hayter, but a record transfer is an awful lot of money to pay. And for a striker with an impressive goalscoring tally, surely I'm within my rights to expect more goals? I have come close to giving up on this lad already this season, he must be the only 'goalscorer' in football who sends one-on-ones straight down the middle? And, having just turned thirty his days are presumably numbered in a Rovers' shirt? Surely he's the man who Sharp is going to be replacing? Or is our manager going to take it out on Paul Heffernan, again?

Now I don't want to end on a negative note so I will also express my delight on Rovers extending the loan of Jason Shackall. Shackall has come on loan to fill the void left by Matt Mills this summer, and Rovers have conceded just three goals in his five league appearances, which is pretty impressive.