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Rovers Look to Make it a Happy Valley

edited March 2009 in General Charlton
From the Sheffield Star:

Rovers look to make it happy Valley

DONCASTER Rovers will face a Charlton side fighting to avoid a second relegation in three years at The Valley tonight.
The former Premier League club are currently rooted to the foot of the Championship table, 10 points adrift of fourth-bottom Nottingham Forest, who have played a game more.

But Phil Parkinson's side, who last played in the third tier of English football back in the mid-80s, will not go down without a fight judging by their impressive 1-1 draw against Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium.

It was the Addicks' second successive away draw - they drew 0-0 at Oakwell a week earlier.

But, though welcoming the two results following a disastrous eight-match away run, Parkinson knows that his side have to start turning draws into win in their remaining 12 games.

Parkinson, who took over in late November, will have been encouraged by the fact that the Addicks have won their last two games at The Valley.

He will be looking to midfielder Nicky Bailey, who scored the equaliser against the Swans on Saturday, to add to his eight-goal tally.

He was the Shrimpers' top scorer last season with 12 - his last goal for the Essex club coming at the Keepmoat Stadium in their 5-1 drubbing in the second leg of the League One promotion play-off semi-final.

Parkinson will also be hoping that the centre-back pairing of skipper Mark Hudson and Darrren Ward maintain their record of not having finished on the losing side when playing together at the back.

Hudson, who played all but one league game for Crystal Palace last season on their route to the play-offs, joined the Addicks in the summer.

Defender Adam Lockwood says that Rovers will go into the game confident that they can avenge an early-season defeat against the Addicks at the Keepmoat Stadium.

"We go into every game confident that we can win it," said Lockwood. "But that doesn't mean that we expect it to be easy just because they are bottom.

"We know that they are going to give it their best shot in every game, just like we did when we were bottom, to try and climb out of the relegation zone."
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