A rainy day in Newcastle awaited the Rovers this afternoon, with enough water coming down to saturate the pitch. It's the Rovers first visit to St James' Park since season 1947-48 and we have yet to beat them in a competitive game. Well, there's always a first time. The Rovers made one change from the Peterborough game, with Quinton Fortune coming in for James Hayter to strenghten the midfield. They also turned out  in their normal red and white hoops but with white shorts. The Rovers defended the Leazes end in the first half.

The Rovers kicked off, with the first ten minutes being mostly midfield play although Harper saw more of the ball than Sullivan but without being too troubled. Then in the next couple of minutes, the sides swopped corners but nothing came from them. In the 15th minute, Guthrie put over a cross from the left that actually went over the bar. The Rovers were enjoying their fair share of the play and made it count in the 18th minute when a good build-up on the Rovers right ended wirth Sharp putting a low ball across the face of the goal for SHIELS at the far post to rifle in for Rovers to take the lead. Three minutes on and Newcastle attacked down their left for Gutierrez to cross low across the face of the Rovers goal but there was no black and white shirts to take advantage. Down to the other end and Coppinger, from the edge of the penalty area, had his shot saved.  Past the half hour and a corner to the home team from the right brought a cross from Enrique on the left for Harewood to get in a header at the far post but Sullivan saved.  The Rovers then went downfield with the ball arriving at Woods feet 25yards out. He hit a good low shot that Harper had to go full length to tip round the post. The corner was cleared sending the home team on to the attack to win a corner. This was cleared. The Rovers continued to enjoy good possession but it was the Magpies who had the best chance to score after 42 minutes. Carroll had a shot blocked on the 6yard line, the rebound came to Gutierrez, who fired wildly over from 8yards.

Half time - Newcastle United 0 Doncaster Rovers 1,

The Magpies came out for the second hald and made their intentions clear from the kick off. They won a corner after a couple of minutes which had Sullivan punching off his line to clear. Continuing to force the pace Guthrie fired over from 25yards followed in the 53rd minute by a glaring miss by Carroll. Harewood held the ball up in the Rovers penalty area for Carroll to run on to and, with only Sullivan to beat from 8yards he blazed wide of the far post. Two minutes later and from a free kick on the Newcastle left by Taylor, Sullivan was forced to tip round the post for a corner. In a rare foray into the home half for the Rovers Gillett was wide with his effort. Still the Magpies pressed. Ranger headed wide from a Taylor cross and Nolan put over the bar with an overhead kick. In the 67th minute the pressure paid off when Guthrie chipped past the far post from the right for CARROLL to fire low and hard into the far corner of the net. A promising attack by Rovers was halted and a quick break by the home teambrought a corner followed minutes later by anoter one. In the 75 minute came a pivotal moment when Taylor was penalised for fisting a ball away in the penalty area. Woods took the penalty after protests from some home players but it was a clear enough decision for the referee to make. However, Woods blasted his shot a long way wide in front of his own supporters. Minutes later Shiels fired wide with a good effort from 30yards. A corner and a shot from Butt was held by Sullivan. Then, after 84 minutes came a flare-up when Sharp objected to being held in a stranglehold by Khizanishvili. Sharp was booked for retaliating, Butt was booked for dissent and the Newcastle defender was sent off after the referee had held a discussion with his assistant. After the holdup of a couple of minutes Sharp was subbed for Guy. With a forty thousand crowd roaring them on the home team tried desperately for a winner but the Rovers were also getting in some attacks. Into added-time and NOLAN ran free into the heart of the Rovers heart and hit a low shot from 25yards just inside a post past a full length despairing Sullivan two minutes into that added time. A cruel blow indeed for the battling Rovers.

Full time - Newcastle United 2 Doncaster Rovers 1

Teams - Newcastle United - Steve Harper; Ryan Taylor, Zurab Khizanishvili, Tamas Kadar, Jose Enrique; Kevin Nolan, Danny Guthrie, Nicky Butt, Jonas Gutierrez, Marlon Harewood, Andy Carroll

Subs used - Nile Ranger for Harewood 60mins; Ben Tozer for Gutierrez 87mins;

Subs not used - Peter Lovenkrands, Geremi, Wesley Ngo Baheng, Ryan Donaldson, Tim Krul gk

Caution - Harewood, Nolan, Butt

Sent Off - Khizanishvili

ROVERS - Neil Sullivan; James O'Connor, Sam Hird, Jason Shackell, James Chambers; James Coppinger, Simon Gillett, Quinton Fortune, Dean Shiels, Martin Woods; Billy Sharp

Subs used - John Oster for Gillett 66mins; James Hayter for Coppinger 77mins; Lewis Guy for Sharp 86mins;

Subs not used -  John Spicer, , Paul Heffernan, , Mustapha Dumbuya, Gary Woods gk,

Cautions - Shiels, O'Connor,