TOWN v DONCASTER: A potted history (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

TOWN v DONCASTER: A potted history

6:00am Friday 7th December 2012 in Sport By Sam Morshead

SWINDON Town and Doncaster have a very thin history of meetings at the County Ground, despite being formed in the same year.

In all, the two sides have only played each other nine times in Wiltshire, with Town picking up three victories to Donny’s two.

The first contest between the teams took place in March 1959, when 9,504 fans turned out for a goalless draw in the old Division Three.

Doncaster got their first win in SN1 seven-and-a-half years later, when Laurie Sheffield got the only goal in a 1-0 success.

That match saw Swindon make a substitution for only the third time at the County Ground.

Defender Owen Dawson, who was the club’s first ever appearance-making substitute when he came off the bench against Southend in September 1965, replaced Dennis Brown.

Town’s first win in this fixture came 10 days later, when Donny visited Wiltshire for a League Cup third-round tie.

Roger Smart hit two goals, Keith Morgan one and Jimmy Lawton got the last of his four strikes in a Swindon shirt as the Robins emerged 4-2 victors after extra-time.

Since 1966, Swindon have never failed to score in games against Doncaster at the County Ground.

Town went six games and 41 years unbeaten against their South Yorkshire guests up until November 2007 when Lewis Guy earnt Donny a 2-1 victory.

In between, Charlie Comyn-Platt and Ricky Shakes both netted their first league goals for Swindon in a 2-1 win in February 2006 while, in December 2004, Sam Parkin fired his 59th of 73 Town goals in a 1-1 draw.