A fine, bright and warm morning greeted the first 'derby' game of the season for the Rovers, at Glanford Park against neighbours Scunthorpe United, with a 12noon kick-off time. The clubs occupy mid-table positions with the hosts two places and two points above the Rovers. With Stock out for a while with an ankle injury, Quinton Fortune gets his first League start for the Rovers. Mark Wilson replaces John Spicer, who drops to the bench and James Coppinger returns to the team after injury. Billy Sharp returns to his former club in the Rovers colours and in Scunthorpe colours is Jonathan Forte, who spent time at the Rovers, memorably opening the scoring in the Johnstones Paints Trophy Final at the Millenium Stadium to set the Rovers on their way to victory over Bristol Rovers in 2007. A few minutes before the start of the game Jason Shackell was replaced by Sam Hird for the Rovers, who defended the South Stand end in front of their supporters.

The home team spent the early minutes in the Rovers half without troubling Sullivan but in Rovers first attack, Chambers crossed from the right for Sharp to head wide from the edge of the area. Five minutes later and the Rovers won the first corner of the game. Lockwood flicked on at the near post but Murphy made the catch. However, the Rovers came again, with a multi-pass move down their left. The ball came to Coppinger just inside the penalty area where Spence brought him to earth. The referee immediately pointed to the penalty spot. WOODS stepped up and blasted the ball past Murphy for the first goal of the game after 13 minutes. The home team hit back to win a couple of corners, from the second of which Roberts collected on the Rovers left and put a long ball down the line for Sharp. He beat two men before crossing hard and low for the onrushing Coppinger, under challenge, to stab over the bar. The Rovers were enjoying the better of the game at this time, with Woods putting just wide from a thirty yarder as Murphy scrambled across his goal. Gradually the home team got back into the game, having had to make two substitutions in the first half hour. On 35 minutes, Hayes crossed from the right byline to the far post and, although Sullivan went for it the ball sailed over him. It was headed back to the middle where Chambers headed over from under the bar to keep a clean sheet for the Rovers. A minute later, Josh Wright got in a header that lacked power and Sullivan made an easy save. As time ran down to the break, O'Connor, for the home team, put a free kick from the home left wide of goal. Three minutes from the end of normal time, Wright put in a free kick from the right that everybody missed in the middle leaving Sullivan to easily collect. The Rovers then went down to the other end with a good build-up that ended with Coppinger receiving, getting into the area before shooting but Murphy saved with his legs, a colleague putting out for a corner to the Rovers. Into added-time and Hayes, on the home right, crossed for Togwell to head over from close range.

Half time - Scunthorpe United 0 Doncaster Rovers 1

The Rovers got the second half underway but it was the Iron that made the early running, with the only result being a corner after 52 minutes that Hayes headed over. As the hour mark came up the game suffered a series of bookings, with three Scunthorpe players booked in a the space of two minutes. The last booking, for a foul on Fortune on the Rovers right, led to Coppinger putting over a good cross for SHARP to head in for Rovers second goal. Sharp was then booked for over-celebrating and taking his shirt off. The Rovers were having a good spell  at this stage but disaster hit them after 70 minutes when, after a conversation with the linesman, Oster was given his marching orders. Two minutes later, BYRNE headed in from a corner to pull a goal back for the home team. Another corner followed shortly afterwards which Byrne put over the bar from an overhead kick. As the last ten minutes came up Sullivan was forced to dive to his right to push a shot out for a corner. Five minutes later and Sullivan saved, with his feet, a close range header from Hayes. The Rovers were then reduced to nine men when Fortune was sent off for a foul and really had their backs to the wall for the last ten minutes, which included six minutes of added-time. Even so they had the occasional raid into the Scunthorpe half and Woods, in added-time, came in from the left to fire wide of the near post. Two minutes into extra time and, following a corner, Woolford's cross from the left hit Woods on the arm as he turned his back on the ball. Penalty said the referee, although one sees them not given. McCANN stepped up and gave Sullivan no chance of saving. The final result was greeted by the home crowd as if they had beaten Manchester City, who they meet in the next round of the Carling Cup.

Result - Scunthorpe United 2 Doncaster Rovers 2

Teams - Scunthorpe United - Joe Murphy; Jordan Spence, David Mirfin, Rob Jones, Marcus Williams, Sam Togwell, Grant McCann, Josh Wright, Michael O'Connor, Paul Hayes, Jonathan Forte,

Subs used - Cliff Byrne for Mirfin 20mins; Martyn Woolford for Forte 34mins; Garry Thompson for Togwell 73mins;

Subs not used - Andrew Wright, Matt Sparrow, Niall Canavan, Sam Slocombe gk

Cautions- Spence, O'Connor, Woolford, Jones,

ROVERS - Neil Sullivan; James Chambers, Adam Lockwood, Sam Hird, Gareth Roberts; James Coppinger, Mark Wilson, John Oster, Quinton Fortune, Martin Woods; Billy Sharp.

Subs used - Byron Webster for Coppinger 78mins; James O'Connor for Wilson 83mins; Paul Heffernan for Sharp 83mins;

Subs not used - John Spicer, Dean Shiels, Waide Fairhurst, Ben Smith gk

Cautions - Oster, Sharp, Hird, Woods,

Sent off - Oster 70mins; Fortune 87mins;