It was a mild, breezy and sunny afternoon at Oakwell for yet another South Yorkshire 'Derby' game against Barnsley. The Rovers made two changes from last Tiesday's starting line-up, James Coppinger replacing Martin Woods and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas taking over from Dean Shiels. Barnsley also made changes from their heavy defeat at Bristol City, with Darren Moore coming in for Bobby Hassell, Adam Hammill returning after injury for Hallfredsson and a new front pairing of Anderson De Silva and Andy Gray replacing Jon Macken and Daniel Bogdanovic. The Rovers defended the Queens Ground end in the first half in front of their supporters.

The Rovers started the brighter forcing a couple of corners in the first six minutes. The first, after 4minutes, was volleyed wide from 20yards by Wilson and the second followed when Coppinger had two cracks at goal blocked. Five minutes on and Barnsley progressed into the Rovers half to win a throw-in on their right level with the Rovers penalty area. Shotton took it and landed it in the middle of the area for Gray to head goalwards and Sullivan to save. As the quarter hour came up Teixeira had a go from 20yards but Sullivan handled it comfortably. Three minutes later Barnsley won their first corner but it was cleared easily. General midfield play followed for a spell before Hammill twice had a go at goal within a few minutes. The first from the edge of the penalty area was easily saved by Sullivan, who also comfortably saved the second attempt.Past the half hour and Bogdanovic cut in along the right byline before firing over the bar. Then came the breakthrough in the 35th minute when the Rovers forced a corner on their left. It was taken quickly and after a couple of touches reached COPPINGER, who took it on to the angle of the penalty area before firing low through a crowd of players and across the keeper into the far corner of the net. Two minutes later and Hammill hit a free kick from 30yards straight into Sullivan's hands. Barnsley tried to hit back but the Rovers were comfortable in defence and were certainly winning the battle of the midfield. In the last minute of normal time the home team won a corner on their left. It was placed high beyond the far post for Anderson to head on to the top of the bar. Two minutes of added time brought no further incidents.

Half Time - Barnsley 0 Doncaster Rovers 1

The home team got the second half underway but it was the Rovers who got in the first attack when Sharp, on the Rovers left, hit a left foot shot that just went past the far post. An immediate riposte was made by Barnsley when Anderson, from the Barnsley right also put past the far post from 16 yards. Back to the home end where Emmanuel-Thomas hit an ambitious lob from 30yards that went wide of the post. In the 51st minute Hammill, for the home side had a twenty-five yarder saved by Sullivan followed by Coppinger, at the other end, crossing to the near post for Sharp to head wide from the six yards line. A corner to the Rovers was followed a couple of minutes past the hour by Coppinger cutting in from the right and hitting a low shot from 25yards that Steele saved. Midfield play ensued as Barnsley tried desperately to get on even terms. On 71 minutes Anderson had a twenty-five yarder saved followed by Hammill, from the same distance, also unable to get one past Sullivan. five minutes later and Sullivan made a great catch from a Barnsley corner as a couple of red shirts attempted to get a head to it. The Rovers were not short on the attacking side as a corner was followed by some panicky defending in the Barnsley area, with Moore heading off the line and Hayter diving in under challenge to head wide. As the last ten minutes came up Barnsley pushed on. Sullivan did exceptionally well to save at the near post as Gray let fly from close range on the left. Then shots from Bogdanovic and Hammill were blocked by the Rovers defence, with Bogdanovic eventually firing high and wide from the left. In the 89th minute a cross to the far post from Hammill on the Barnsley left was met with a diving header from Colace but he put it wide. The Rovers had isolated attacks to slow the game down before, in a last desperate attempt in the fourth minute of added time the home side won a corner. With Steele also up for the kick the Rovers defended solidly and the whistle went on a fine victory for the Rovers.

Teams - Barnsley - Luke Steele; Ryan Shotton, Darren Moore, Stephen Foster, Luke Potter, Filipe Teixeira, Hugo Colace, Nathan Doyle, Adam Hammill; Anderson De Silva, Andy Gray

Subs used - Daniel Bogdanovic for Teixeira 29mins; Jacob Butterfield for Doyle 54mins; Emil Hallfredsson for Anderson de Silva 73mins;

Subs not used - Iain Hume, , Jon Macken, O'Neil Thompson, David Preece gk 

Cautions - Colace, Shotton

ROVERS - Neil Sullivan; James Chambers, James O'Connor, Shelton Martis, Gareth Roberts; James Coppinger, Mark Wilson, John Oster, James Hayter; Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, Billy Sharp

Subs used - Adam Lockwood for Sharp 87mins; Martin Woods for Emmanuel-Thomas 90+1mins;

Subs not used - Jordon Mutch, Sean McDaid, Sam Hird, Dean Shiels, Ben Smith gk

Caution - Sharp, Oster