It was a cold evening and a heavy pitch for the 3rd Round F.A. Cup tie at Brentford that was going to be played two and a half weeks after the original date. The Rovers in their blue & white hooped strip defended the Edgware Road end in the first half.

The home team kicked off but after only 25 seconds Sharp was in the penalty area to collect a cross from Coppinger on the left but fired wide. Two minutes on and Sharp again shot wide, this time from the right edge of the penalty area, after exchanging passes with Wilson. In the 5th minute Brentford made their presence felt and won the first corner of the game. The Rovers hit back with a long clearance to the left corner in the home half where Sharp put it back to Roberts, who threaded the ball through to Shiels in the penalty area. He tried to repeat his 'magic' of Saturday but fired into the side-net. The match began to even out past the ten minutes mark, with both sides having good possession. MacDonald for the home team had a header saved and the Rovers won their first corner in the 21st minute. Wilson then put well wide from 25 yards and Strevens headed wide from a cross from the left by Weston before Wilson again put high and over from 20yards. Midfield play followed for a period before Wood headed over at the far post following a cross from the home left in the 35th minute. Two minutes later following another good build-up by the Rovers, Stock hit a stinging drive from 25 yards that Price saved but back came the Rovers when a through ball from Shiels was collected by Sharp running across the penalty area, past the oncoming keeper before firing at an angle and off balance just wide of the near post. Five minutes from the break, Sharp, 20yards out, received from Oster and shooting on the turn saw Price make a good one-handed save. A couple of corners to the home side brought the first half to a close.

Half Time - Brentford 0 Doncaster Rovers 0

Brentford came out for the second half with all guns blazing for the first five minutes before the Rovers got to grips with the game. Midfield play followed before the home team won a corner on the hour, which was cleared. Further midfield play ensued before Shiels had a run at goal in the 66th minute before firing wide from 20yards. The even tenor of the game was spelt out in the next minute when the home team forced a corner, MacDonald got the ball but fired wide. As the last fifteen minutes came up the Rovers began to put the pressure on. A couple of corners were forced, the first of which brought a terrific drive from the edge of the area by Stock that was well saved by Price despite taking a deflection. Coppinger then fired wide from 25yards and Shiels did likewise minutes later. The pressure finally told in the 87th minute when a corner to the Rovers from their right came out of defence to Stock just outside the area. His shot was hit into the ground and bounced up in the six yard area for O'CONNOR to put a diving header past Price. The Rovers then shut shop until the dying seconds when in a desperate attempt to salvage the game Saunders scuffed wide from inside the six yard box. The whistle immediately went for full time and the Rovers now visit Derby on Saturday in the 4th Round.

Full Time - Brentford 0 Doncaster Rovers 1

Teams - Brentford - Lewis Price; Danny Foster, Leon Legge, Alan Bennett, Ryan Dickson; Sam Wood, Kevin Connor, Marcus Bean, Myles Weston; Charlie MacDonald, Ben Strevens.

Subs used - Sam Saunders for Wood 90+1, David Hunt for Bean 90+1,

Subs not used - Mark Phillips, John Bostock, Karleigh Osborne, Lewis Ferrell, Simon Moore gk.

Doncaster Rovers - Neil Sullivan; James Chambers, James O'Connor, Jason Shackell, Gareth Roberts; John Oster, Brian Stock, Mark Wilson, Dean Shiels; James Coppinger, Billy Sharp.

Subs used - James Hayter for Oster 71mins; Sam Hird for Stock 88mins; John Spicer for Shiels 90+ 1

Subs not used - Lewis Guy, Paul Heffernan, Byron Webster, Ben Smith gk.