A sunny, warm afternoon on the North-East coast welcomed the Rovers on their first visit to the Riverside Stadium. The pitch resembled a billiard table and I have no doubt the Rovers will relish playing here. Mark Wilson returns to his old club and starts in place of the injured Martin Woods in the Rovers midfield. For the 'Boro, Julio Arca comes in for Gary O'Neil in midfield. The Rovers defended the South Stand end in front of their supporters in the first half. 

The home team got the game underway and were the first to get in a strike on goal in the fifth minute when Johnson hit a fierce left foot drive from 25yards that Sullivan palmed away. Two minutes later the home team won a corner which was cleared. The Rovers weathered the storm and in the tenth minute after some good possession Oster finished with a crack at goal from the edge of the area but Coyne easily saved. A minute later at the other end, Sullivan came out to the edge of the area to tackle Emnes and was booked by the referee for the strength of his tackle. It took five minutes to re-start the game, with Tuncay Sanli taking over from Emnes. A minute later, the 17th, TUNCAY received the ball following a throw-in on the Middlesbrough left and with his first touch of the ball despatched the ball from just inside the penalty area past Sullivan for the first goal of the game. The Rovers reply was to go upfield, with Coppinger putting in a good cross from the right for Hayter to get a good header to it from 15 yards that went wide. In the 26th minute a raid down the home right had Teates sliding the ball into the six yard area from the byline for Lita. The ball went behind Lita and the simplest of chances had gone. The Rovers continued to battle away and Wilson was just wide of a post from inside the area on the half hour. A spell of quiet play followed until the 39th minute when a good move down the Boro right led to Yeates squaring for Tuncay to tap in to the net but he was given offside. Minutes later and the Rovers had a free kick on the right, level with the 18yard line. Coppinger gave a square pass to Oster on the edge of the area but he blasted high and wide. Four minutes of added time was played, the whistle going after Wilson had an effort from 25 yards saved by Coyne.

 Half time - Middlesbrough 1 Doncaster Rovers 0

The Rovers set the second half going but three minutes in Johnson got in a strike for the home team that had Sullivan going down to his right to save. Straigt down to the other end and a cro0ss from the Rovers left by Roberts was well caught by Coyne as Hayter came in. Back to the Rovers end and Lita, out on the home left, tried to catch Sullivan out by going for goal with a shot but it went past the far post. A corner to the Boro just before the hour came to nothing and past that mark Arca was booked for a tackle from behind on Shiels with the ball nowhere near. In the 63rd minute Shackell just got enough of a touch in the six yard box to steer the ball away from goal and deny Lita. A good attack by Rovers in the 70th minute saw Hayters effort at goal blocked and out to Stock whose shot was saved by Coyne. The following minute, the home team went down their right, with Yeates getting in a cross to the near post for LITA to control and lift into the net in one movement. The Rovers made changes during the last quarter of the game and continued to have a fair share of possession but the Middlesbrough backline and goalkkeeper Coyne were not going to be beaten today. They were quick to close down any Rovers players getting within sight of goal and snuffed out the chances that Rovers made. The referee's whistle sounded after 94minutes on the Rovers first defeat of the season.

Full time - Middlesbrough 2 Doncaster Rovers 0

Teams - Middlesbrough - Danny Coyne; Tony McMahon, David Wheater, Robert Huth, Jonathan Grounds; Mark Yeates, Julio Arca, Rhys Williams, Adam Johnson; Leroy Lita, Marvin Emnes

Subs used - Tuncay Sanli for Emnes 16mins; Jeremie Aliadiere for Yeates 72mins; Andrew Taylor for Lita 85mins;

Subs not used - Justin Hoyte, Seb Hines, Joe Bennett, Jason Steele gk

Cautions - Arca,

ROVERS - Neil Sullivan; James Chambers, Adam Lockwood, Jason Shackell, Gareth Roberts; James Coppinger, Brian Stock, Mark Wilson, John Oster; Dean Shiels, James Hayter

Subs used - Paul Heffernan for Shiels 63 mins; Quinton Fortune for Wilson 78mins; John Spicer for Oster 78mins;

Subs not used - Lewis Guy, Sam Hird, Mustapha Dumbuya, Ben Smith gk

Cautions - Sullivan,