Peterborough United 1-3 Doncaster Rovers: Stalwart Sharp Bags Hat-Trick for Donny at Posh

Match Details

• Competition: Skybet League 1
• Date: 3rd May 2026
• Venue: West Homes Stadium, London Road, Peterborough
• Final Score: Peterborough United 1 - 3 Doncaster Rovers
• Attendance: 10,192
• Referee: Edward Duckworth
• 4th Official: Kieran Forrest

Match Stats & Key Metrics

	Peterborough United	Doncaster Rovers
Score	1	3
Half Time	0	0
Formation	4-2-3-1	4-3-3
Goalscorers	Leonard 76'	Sharp 54', 73', 79'
Yellow Cards	Mills 38'	Grehan 68', Lee 87'
Red Cards	—	—
Attendance	10,192

The Story of the Match

BILLY SHARP the stalwart striker bagged a second half hat-trick in 26 minutes with goals in the 54th, 73rd and 79th minute to take all the points back up the A1 to South Yorkshire for Doncaster Rovers and manager Grant McCann as the visitors sealed an impressive away win at the West Homes Stadium against a sluggish Peterborough United side on the final day of the Skybet League 1 season in sunny and balmy North Cambridgeshire in front of a crowd of 10,192 fans. Peterborough United 0-2 down came back to life in the 76th minute as Harry Leonard fired home with a right footed shot from outside the penalty area from an assist by James Dornelly to make it 1-2 but Sharp was not finished as it was his day against Posh.

Peterborough United were fortunately safe going into the final game of the Skybet League 1 season having drawn with Mansfield Town 0-0 at home last Tuesday. They hosted Doncaster Rovers in the final game of a difficult campaign which saw Darren Ferguson sacked and replaced by Luke Williams who guided the Posh to League 1 status with a game to spare.

Peterborough United came into the game off the back of two draws against Burton Albion (home) 1-1 and Mansfield Town (home) 0-0 last time out and three defeats against Stockport County (away) 1-3, Port Vale (home) 1-3 and Blackpool (away) 1-3.

Meanwhile Doncaster Rovers came into the game off the back of two wins against Northampton Town (away) 3-1 and Reading (home) 1-0, one draw against Stevenage (home) 1-1 last time out and two defeats against Lincoln City (home) 0-2 and Exeter City (away) 0-3.

Peterborough United had only won one of their last nine league meetings with Doncaster Rovers (drawn four, lost four), a 4-1 triumph in May 2021. Peterborough United had won five of their last seven final games of a league season (drawn one, lost one - including the curtailed 2019-20 season), though they did lose their last 2-1 against Rotherham United last season.

Doncaster Rovers had only lost one of their last eleven league visits to London Road (won five, drawn five), a 4-0 defeat in October 2015. Each of Doncaster Rovers' last five seasons have ended with the Rovers playing away from home, winning just once of those games against Notts County 2-1 last season, the other four matches (drawn two, lost two).

Peterborough United started the match in 17th spot with 53 points whilst Doncaster Rovers started in 15th spot on 57 points.

Peterborough United manager Luke Williams started with a 4-2-3-1 formation with Alex Bass in goal, then a back four of James Dornelly, captain Tom Lees, Okagbue and Mendy, then two holding midfielders in Archie Collins and Woods, then three attacking midfielders in Bolu Shofowoke, Matthew Garbett and Karelia Jeremiah Lisbie with Harry Leonard up front. Williams made four changes with Brandon Khela, Harley Mills, Matthew Garbett and Luca Mendonca coming in for David Okagbue, Jacob Mendy, David Kamara and Archie Collins.

Doncaster Rovers manager and ex-Posh manager Grant McCann started with a 4-3-3 formation with Thimothee Lo-Tutala in goal, then a back four of Jamie Sterry, Sean Grehan, Jay McGrath and Jack Senior, then a three-man midfield in Darren Robinson, captain Owen Bailey and George Broadbent, with three strikers in Brandon Hanlan, Billy Sharp and Hakeem Adelakun. McCann made three changes with Matthew Pearson, Tom Nixon and Elliot Lee replaced by Hakeem Adelakun, Jamie Sterry and Billy Sharp.

Peterborough United kicked off the first half. It was a real end-of-season encounter with neither side in with any chance of a play-off spot or relegation.

Doncaster Rovers went close through Billy Sharp with a right footed shot from inside the penalty area in the seventh minute from an assist by Brandon Hanlan but Alex Bass saved for Posh. Then Hakeeb Adelakun saw a right footed shot from outside the penalty area blocked in the 12th minute from an assist by Owen Bailey. George Broadbent saw a right footed shot from outside the penalty area saved by Alex Bass in the 17th minute from an assist by the impressive Hakeeb Adelakun. Sean Grehan saw a right footed shot saved by Bass in the 22nd minute as the visitors continued to press for an opening goal.

Finally, in the 24th minute Peterborough United had a chance on goal when Harry Leonard saw a right footed shot from outside the penalty area saved by Thimothee Lo-Tutala from an assist by Kyrell Lisbie. Brandon Hanlan had a right footed shot in the 27th minute saved by Bass from an assist by Sean Grehan. In the 36th minute Kyrell Lisbie saw a right footed shot from an assist by Luca Mendonca blocked.

Billy Sharp's header from an assist by Hakeeb Adelakun was saved by Bass in the 37th minute. Harley Mills was yellow carded for a bad foul in the 38th minute. Harry Leonard went close with a header from a cross by Matthew Garbett in the 41st minute for Posh. The teams went in level at 0-0 at the interval after three minutes of added time.

Doncaster Rovers kicked off the second half. In the 50th minute George Broadbent saw a right footed shot from outside the penalty area from an assist by Hakeeb Adelakun go wide. In the 52nd minute Kyrell Lisbie went close with a header from an assist by Matthew Garbett, and then two minutes later Brandon Hanlan saw a right footed shot saved by Bass as Rovers pressed for an opening goal.

Doncaster Rovers finally broke the deadlock in the 54th minute as Billy Sharp scored with a right footed shot from the centre of the penalty area from an assist by George Broadbent to make it 0-1 to the visitors.

Posh responded with chances for Brandon Khela in the 57th minute from an assist by Kyrell Lisbie, and then Kyrell Lisbie saw a right footed shot blocked from an assist by Ben Woods in the 58th minute. Harry Leonard fired over from inside the penalty area in the 59th minute. On the hour Hakeeb Adelakun saw a right footed shot from an assist by George Broadbent saved well by Bass to deny Rovers a second goal.

Sean Grehan was yellow carded in the 68th minute for a bad foul. Doncaster Rovers sealed the points in the 73rd minute as Billy Sharp fired home with a left footed shot to make it 0-2 from an assist by Harry Clifton after a set piece.

Peterborough United 0-2 down came back to life in the 76th minute as Harry Leonard fired home with a right footed shot from outside the penalty area from an assist by James Dornelly to make it 1-2.

Just when Posh thought they had a chance of getting back into the game, Billy Sharp bagged his hat-trick with a third goal for Rovers in the 79th minute with a left footed shot from inside the penalty area from an assist by Elliot Lee to make it 1-3. Elliot Lee was cautioned with a yellow card in the 87th minute.

Doncaster Rovers thoroughly deserved the win which saw them end the campaign in 14th spot on 60 points, with Peterborough United ending the season in 18th spot on 53 points, four points above Exeter City who were relegated to League 2 after being defeated at home to Bradford City.

At the top end of the table Lincoln City and Cardiff City were promoted, with Bradford City, Bolton Wanderers, Stockport County and Plymouth Argyle reaching the lottery of the League 1 play-offs.

Timeline of Key Events

• 7' - Save - Bass denies Sharp's right-footed shot from inside the area.
• 12' - Blocked - Adelakun's shot blocked from outside the area.
• 17' - Save - Bass saves Broadbent's right-footed shot.
• 22' - Save - Bass saves Grehan effort.
• 24' - Save - Lo-Tutala saves Leonard from outside the area.
• 27' - Save - Bass saves Hanlan's right-footed shot.
• 36' - Blocked - Lisbie shot blocked from Mendonca assist.
• 37' - Save - Bass saves Sharp header.
• 38' - Yellow card (Peterborough) - Mills fouled.
• 41' - Close - Leonard header from Garbett cross goes close.
• HT - Peterborough United 0-0 Doncaster Rovers (3 minutes added time)
• 50' - Wide - Broadbent shot from outside the area goes wide.
• 52' - Close - Lisbie header from Garbett assist.
• 54' - Goal (Doncaster Rovers) - Sharp right-footed shot from centre of area, assist Broadbent. 0-1.
• 57' - Close - Khela chance from Lisbie assist.
• 58' - Blocked - Lisbie shot blocked.
• 59' - Over - Leonard fires over from inside the area.
• 60' - Save - Bass denies Adelakun for a second Rovers goal.
• 66' - Substitution - Posh double change: Khela and Mills off, Skkut and Mendy on.
• 67' - Substitution - Doncaster: Robinson off, Clifton on.
• 68' - Yellow card (Doncaster Rovers) - Grehan fouled.
• 71' - Substitution - Doncaster: Adelakun off, Lee on.
• 73' - Goal (Doncaster Rovers) - Sharp left-footed shot, assist Clifton from set piece. 0-2.
• 76' - Goal (Peterborough United) - Leonard right-footed shot from outside area, assist Dornelly. 1-2.
• 78' - Substitution - Posh: Dornelly off, Aderoju on.
• 79' - Goal (Doncaster Rovers) - Sharp left-footed shot from inside area, assist Lee. Hat-trick. 1-3.
• 82' - Substitution - Doncaster: Hanlan off, Williams on.
• 83' - Substitution - Doncaster: Lo-Tutala off, Oram on; Grehan off, McCann on.
• 87' - Yellow card (Doncaster Rovers) - Lee cautioned.
• FT - Peterborough United 1-3 Doncaster Rovers (4 minutes added time)

Author's Standout Players

• Billy Sharp (Doncaster Rovers) - Sensational second-half hat-trick in 26 minutes, the difference between the two sides on the day.
• George Broadbent (Doncaster Rovers) - Industrious in midfield, providing the assist for Sharp's opener and constantly probing.
• Hakeeb Adelakun (Doncaster Rovers) - Dangerous throughout, drawing saves from Bass and creating chances before his substitution.
• Alex Bass (Peterborough United) - Kept Posh in the game with multiple first-half saves; could do little about Sharp's clinical finishing.