Doncaster Rovers 2-1 Carlisle United: Blues start 2023 with defeat

They paid the price for Doncaster goals in either half from James Maxwell and Kyle Hurst.

It saw the Blues begin the new year on a losing note - on a day they suffered yet another injury, with striker Jack Stretton limping off in the first half.

Carlisle were second best for crucial spells and did not trouble Doncaster's goal until a late flurry which saw Dennis give them hope in the 87th minute.

They remain fourth in League Two after 23 games despite the setback at the Eco-Power Stadium.

Doncaster's opener came in the fifth minute after Joel Senior, on his first start for nearly a year, failed to deal with a cross as Maxwell pounced at the back post.

Hurst made it two on 66 minutes after George Miller had got away from United's defence and keeper to cross.

Dennis' strike then proved late consolation as Paul Simpson's side suffered their fifth defeat of the league campaign.

Simpson made two changes to his injury-hit side, with Senior and Dennis coming in for the sidelined Jack Ellis and Taylor Charters.

It was a big day for fit-again Senior, who was making his first start since last February following his recovery from a long-term knee injury.

United's depleted numbers saw youth player Ryan Carr added to the bench, while Doncaster boss Danny Schofield named an unchanged side which was captained by ex-Blues loan defender Tom Anderson.

Doncaster score in the fifth minute (Image: Richard Parkes)

Carlisle started the afternoon four points outside the automatic promotion places, and made the worst possible start as they went behind after just five minutes.

Ther Blues failed to deal with a Doncaster throw down the right and, when the low cross came in, Senior failed to deal with it at the back post, the ball slipping through to Maxwell who shot past Tomas Holy from a tight angle.

Doncaster continued as the brighter side for much of the opening spell, Hurst almost getting through for a second and Charlie Seaman testing Holy before the ten-minute mark.

Seaman was then booked for a high challenge on Jack Armer, yet Carlisle took time to thread anything together in the Doncaster half.

One Senior raid was interrupted by a Maxwell shirt pull which ref Ben Speedie failed to punish, while Simpson then sent Jon Mellish into midfield to try and turn the tide.

Yet Carlisle almost went further behind when a Ben Close shot after a short corner with Luke Molyneux was left by Holy and hit the crossbar.

The injury curse then returned yet again as Stretton went down in the 25th minute and could not continue, Tobi Sho-Silva taking his place.

Carlisle improved for a period after the half-hour mark, Owen Moxon firing just wide from outside the box and Simpson's tactical change giving them a slightly better foothold.

But United's first-half efforts remained paltry in the attacking third, Biggins hitting the wall with a Doncaster free-kick as the hosts looked to increase their lead, and Carlisle in need of considerable improvement after the break.

Kyle Hurst scores Doncaster's second (Image: Richard Parkes)

Simpson replaced Jordan Gibson with Jayden Harris at half-time, with Molyneux seeing a goalbound shot blocked for Doncaster in the second half's early stages.

At the other end, a bright attack involving Senior saw Sho-Silva shoot waywardly, before a Moxon piledriver left home defender Ro-Shaun Williams in need of treatment after blocking the attempt.

Moxon then saw a free-kick narrowly fall out of Mellish's reach as Carlisle continued a much more lively start to the second half, in front of their 1,222 travelling fans.

Sho-Silva had a goal disallowed after Dennis had cut the ball back from behind the byline, before United were reprieved when Hurst skied a sitter when Holy parried a Maxwell shot into his path.

The Doncaster man, though, atoned eight minutes later, doubling Doncaster's lead from close range after Miller had got behind United's defence and away from a stranded Holy to cross.

That left Carlisle with lots to do, with Doncaster pushing for a third via Molyneux, who had a shot blocked with 20 minutes to go.

United created little else until late on, Simpson sending on Jamie Devitt for the closing stages and Moxon having a late attempt blocked - then finding a way back in the 87th minute when Dennis latched onto a Sho-Silva flick to fire in his 14th of the season.

Jack Stretton went off injured in the first half (Image: Richard Parkes)

Dennis then had another effort saved as Carlisle looked for a dramatic point, but despite their injury-time efforts, which included Morgan Feeney heading wide from a final opportunity, they could not find a way back.

Doncaster: Mitchell, Knoyle, Maxwell, Anderson, Williams, Molyneux (Woltman 80), Biggins, Seaman, Hurst (Barlow 86), Close, Miller (Agard 86). Not used: Jones, Clayton, Long, Ravenhill.

Goals: Maxwell 5, Hurst 66.

Booked: Biggins.

United: Holy, Feeney, Huntington, Mellish, Senior, Armer, Guy (Devitt 82), Moxon, Gibson (Harris 46), Stretton (Sho-Silva 25), Dennis. Not used: Kelly, Hilton, Whelan, Carr.

Goal: Dennis 87.

Booked: Harris.

Ref: Ben Speedie.

Crowd: 7,143 (1,222 United fans).