YORK CITY forward Michael Coulson is hoping fond memories can help him inspire a Capital One Cup shock against Doncaster Rovers tonight.

The one-time Scarborough and Grimsby hit-man made a memorable Minstermen debut against Rovers in this competition at the Keepmoat Stadium in August 2012 – scoring a spectacular 25-yard screamer as York briefly threatened a big shock before losing on penalties.

It is once again a League One Doncaster that comes to Bootham Crescent and Coulson believes they will pose a stern challenge. He is also crossing his fingers the game does not require spot-kicks to settle the winner this time.

Coulson missed the Minstermen’s first penalty as they went down 4-2 following a 1-1 draw after extra-time two years ago.

Coulson said: “It’s a good test for us against a team from a league above.

“Obviously it will be a tough game. They pass the ball around well and we will probably go large periods of the game without the ball.

“I think we are all up for the test and I have got good memories of that game – apart from missing a penalty - so, hopefully, it doesn’t go to that this time.”

“It’s a bit of both,” he added when asked if scoring against a side in the past can have a positive impact going into a new match against the same team.

“Sometimes you have a team that you score against all the time and you do go into the game thinking ‘I’m scoring no matter what’ but it’s just a game of football at the end of the day. It doesn’t really matter who you are playing against.

“Hopefully, I can get off the mark if I play tonight.”

Reflecting on the late Tranmere goal that cost City an opening day League Two win at the weekend, Coulson believes the team have to be more “professional” in seeing a game out.

“It felt a little bit like a defeat in the dressing room,” he said about the 1-1 draw.

“All the lads are gutted. We put on a great performance as a team.

“I think we had been building up all pre-season and delivered it. Everyone put in an unbelievable shift and I think we deserved to win.

“We’ve got to do better in the last five or ten minutes to see the game out and be more professional than what we were at the time.

“It’s a little bit frustrating but we have got to look at the positives.

“We created chances and we put on a good performance.

“It’s a learning curve and, hopefully, when we get to this point again in a game in the future we will deal with it a little bit better.

“A point away at Tranmere at the start of the season, you would probably take that but, when you are in the position you are in, you want all three.”