Arsenal 1 Doncaster 0: Theo Walcott strike sees Gunners through but second-string less than impressive against League One minnows
Arsene Wenger will breath a sigh of relief as his much-changed team struggled to break down their lower league opposition
JACK WILSHERE made his first start of the season and finished 90 minutes as Arsenal laboured to victory over Doncaster.
The England midfielder had not started a competitive senior game since breaking his leg at Tottenham while on loan at Bournemouth in April.
And it was a winning return thanks to Theo Walcott’s 19th-minute strike – but the Gunners failed to truly put away a spirited Doncaster team.
Alex Ferguson and his wife Cathy watched from the stands as a special guest of Wenger’s with their son Darren in charge of Rovers.
Wilshere – in the last year of his contract in North London – almost created a stunning Arsenal opener.
Moments after Walcott had an early effort kept out by keeper Ian Lawlor, Wilshere chipped a lovely ball over the Doncaster defence for Olivier Giroud to bicycle kick against the bar.
Alexis Sanchez – who started this game with Wenger wanting to give the Chilean some more much needed game time ahead of Monday’s Premier League game against West Brom – was not too far away with a 30-yard free-kick.
Giroud headed over a cross from Mohamed Elneny when he should have buried it.
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But there was no stopping Walcott breaking the deadlock – picking up a lovely lobbed pass from Sanchez before slotting home from eight yards.
And the Gunners ace should have grabbed a second after the break – from Giroud’s centre – but keeper Lawlor got a glove to his shot, although bizarrely ref Scott Duncan did not spot it and gave a goal-kick.
Lawlor also pushed a Ainsley Maitland-Niles shot on to his left post and Niall Mason went into the ref’s book after hacking down Giroud late on the edge of the Rovers box.
You would think Arsenal could not mess up this one against a League One team who have not won for six matches and currently sit sixth bottom in their division.
But they did have a few nervy moments.
Rodney Kongolo played in Alfie May on the left after a driving run – but the Rovers striker fired into the side-netting.
And then Maitland-Niles made up a crazy amount of ground to track back to stop Kongolo getting a shot away.
Sub Liam Mandeville also was unlucky when he shot wide and then Matty Blair saw a header just go over.
