Rochdale 1 - 3 Doncaster Rovers

Matty Done scores one but is shown a straight red card as Rochdale go down to defeat at home to Doncaster Rovers. The striker glanced home a Rhys Bennett cross to open the scoring before seeing red early in the second half for a foul on James Coppinger. Kyle Bennett levelled for Doncaster before the sending off with the 10 men of Rochdale later succumbing to the onslaught by conceding two late goals.

Keith Hill made three changes to the side that beat Northampton in midweek, Jamie Allen, Reuben Noble-Lazarus and Calvin Andrew were given starts. Jack O’Connell missed out through illness.

Dale took the lead in the eighth minute through leading scorer Matty Done when he headed Rhys Bennett’s angled cross home from close range.

Doncaster responded well to going behind and started to gain a real foothold in the game.

Conrad Logan saved well from Kyle Bennett with Nathan Tyson firing horribly wide with the follow up. Tyson went much closer six minutes later with a shot that had Logan rooted to the spot.

Doncaster deservedly levelled with their next attack. The tricky Bennett turned Lancashire on the edge of the area before firing a low shot into the bottom corner.

With the half nearing its conclusion, Doncaster’s Curtis Main had two very good chances to put his side into the lead. Firstly, Main was foiled by Logan as he raced through on goal and then seconds later he fired across the face of goal when he will feel he should have done better.

Calvin Andrew warmed the hands of Johnstone in the Rovers goal with a snap shot in a rare Dale attack.

The major talking point of the afternoon came nine minutes after the re-start when Done was dismissed. The striker went full bloodied into a challenge with Coppinger which the referee deemed dangerous, even though it appeared Done got the ball.

Even eleven against eleven, Doncaster were a threat and the sending off ended the game as a contest with the visitors controlling the game.

Tyson headed against the underside of Logan's crossbar.

Bennett saw his shot crash back off the post as Dale’s goal led a charmed life.

Referee Simpson had infuriated the home faithful with a string of bizarre decisions and the awarding of a corner when Main had clearly dragged his shot wide without the touch of a blue shirt started a passage of play leading to Doncaster’s second. Five successive corners ended when Theo Robinson, who had only been on the field a matter of seconds, headed in from close range.

With Dale’s resistance final broken, Doncaster went on to net a third in stoppage time. A low ball in towards the near post was cleverly flicked in from Main to seal the win.

The boos that rang around Spotland at full time were aimed entirely at the officials as they left the field as Dale have to lick their wounds and move on to MK Dons on Tuesday evening.

Attendance: 3,229

Rochdale: Logan, Bennett, Lancashire (c), Eastham, Rose (Tanser 46), Allen, Dawson, Lund, Andrew (Rafferty 67), Noble-Lazarus, Done
Subs: (not used) Lillis, Hery, Muldoon, Cannon, Hasler-Cregg

Doncaster: Johnstone, Stevens, McCulloch, Butler, Wabara, Coppinger (c) (Forrester 55), Bennett, Wellens, Keegan (Robinson 850), Main, Tyson (McKay 90)
Subs: (not used) Marosi, Furman, Fernandez, Wakefield

Referee: Mr J Simpson
Assistant Referee: Mr J Hunt & Mr B Khatib
Fourth Official: Mr R Merchant