A warm, fine afternoon welcomed the start of the home season for the Rovers match against Preston North End. The Rovers made two changes from last Saturday's team at Watford. Jason Shackell, on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, replaced Sam Hird and James Coppinger came in for Dean Shiels. Preston were in their change strip of all yellow. The Rovers defended the South Stand end in the first half.

The Rovers made a bright start to the game and went on the attack in the second minute with Coppinger down the right but his cross was easy picked out of the air by Lonergan. Two minutes later a mis-kick by Jones at right back for Preston let in Heffernan. He was chased down by two defenders, the ball ran loose to Spicer, who just cleared the bar from 25yards. The next ten minutes saw general midfield play, of which the Rovers had most of the possession. After 16minutes, Sullivan had his first touch when he saved a tame shot from Chaplow. Minutes later effernan collected a long ball out on the Rovers left, gave to Woods, who got to the byline before crossing to the middle. The ball was played out to Stock, whose powerful 25yarder was blocked and cleared. Another good Rovers build-up after 22minutes played Spicer in but the ball bounced unluckily off his leg and ran out for a goalkick. The visitors then got in an attack with Sedgwick crossing from the right for Nicholson, under challenge from Lockwood, heading wide. Then, on 27 minutes, against the run of play, Preston went in front. Shackell failed to clear a harmless ball, BROWN latched on to it and, despite the attentions of Lockwood and Shackell, stroked the ball wide of Sullivan into the far bottom corner of the net from 12yards. This break settled the visitors down and they set about establishing a stranglehold on the game. Neither goalkeeper was over-employed for the rest of the half, with a corner to Preston and a cross from Wallace headed wide by Brown being the only incidents of note until, in the last minute, Chaplow crashed a tackle into the back of Stock and was booked for his trouble.

Half-Time - ROVERS 0 PNE 0

Preston were the better starters in the second half and had an early chance when Brown, stood on his own on the edge of the six yard box missed the ball with the Rovers defence waiting for an offside flag that never came. Five minutes in and the Rovers found their feet. A free kick on their left came out to Spicer, 25 yards out but he lifted his shot over the bar. At the other end Davidson put a thity yard effort high into the North Stand. In the 52nd minute,Chambers went down the righ, turned inside and drilled a left foot shot at the keeper, which Lonergan could only beat out to Hayter, whose shot from ten yards hit the near post and rebounded clear. Three minutes later, Stock took a free kick on the Rovers right about 25 yards out and placed it to the far post. It was going in at the top corner but Lonergan got to it and tipped over the bar. Following this Stock got in a shot that the keeper saved. Each side then made substitutions. The Rovers were now pushing on but Preston were not to be dismissed. Brown and Parkin linked up before Parkin put the ball out to Sedgwick on the Preston right. He lined up a fierce drive that Sullivan could only beat out. The Rovers pressure paid off in the 80th minute when a free kick from their left caused mayhem in the Preston six yard box. A Rovers header was palmed away by the keeper, a shot was then blocked before LOCKWOOD, at the far post stabbed the ball in for a deserved equaliser. A couple of minutes later and Shiels had a 25yarder palmed away at full stretch by Lonergan for a corner to the Rovers. Time ran out on a hard fought game that ended with a goal and a point apiece for the participants.

Full time - DONCASTER ROVERS 1 Preston North End 1

Teams - ROVERS - Neil Sullivan; James Chambers, Adam Lockwood, Jason Shackell, Gareth Roberts; James Coppinger, Jon Spicer, Brian Stock, Martin Woods; Paul Heffernan, James Hayter

Subs used - Dean Shiels for Spicer 69mins; John Oster for Heffernan 76mins; Sam Hird for Coppinger 89mins;

Subs not used - Lewis Guy, Mark Wilson, Quinton Fortune, Ben Smith gk

Preston North End - Andy Lonergan; Billy Jones, Youl Mawene, Sean St Ledger, Calum Davidson; Chris Sedgwick, Barry Nicholson, Richard Chaplow, Ross Wallace; Chris Brown, Paul Parry

Subs used - Liam Chilvers for Mawene 54mins; Jon Parkin for Wallace 62mins; Darren Carter for Parry 73mins;

Subs not used - Veliche Shumulikoski, Eddie Nolan, Neil Mellor, Wayne Henderson gk

Caution - Chaplow,