Andy Williams scored the decisive goal as Rovers won at Meadow Lane.
Notts County 0
Doncaster Rovers 1
(Williams 60)
Monday, December 26
Meadow Lane
Sky Bet League Two
Andy Williams scored the decisive goal as Rovers won at Meadow Lane.
The forward headed home on the hour mark as Rovers edged a tight game. Williams went closest to grabbing a second, while Liam Mandeville was also a constant threat
Darren Ferguson made one change, with Craig Alcock coming back into the side at right-back.
Rovers were confident on the ball in the opening stages, with a through ball for Williams almost putting him through on ball.
Notts' first chance came after nine minutes, with Jon Stead getting up to win a header but his tame effort was easy for Marko Marosi to hold.
Jordan Houghton found himself with space to try a shot after 20 minutes, but fired wide, while Adam Campbell.
Chances really were at a premium for both sides. A couple of chances fell to Marquis as we reached the 40-minute mark, with one header going just wide and a second delivery just too far in front of him.
HALF-TIME: Notts 0 Rovers 0
Joe Wright came on to replacy Mathieu Baudry at the break, with the French defender struggling due to illness, and the opening to the second period was again srappy and cagey.
Marosi was forced into the first save of the half when he held Campbell's shot.
Rovers began to take control as the game approached the hour mark, and went ahead after 60 minutes.
Liam Mandeville found space down the left and fed Tommy Roew - he delivered a great ball to Williams, who headed home from close range.
It was almost 2-0 a minute later when Mandeville again dug out a great cross - this time Matty Blair was steaming in at the far post, and smashed the ball off the foot of the post.
Rovers enjoyed plenty of the ball, but scoring chances were still hard to come by. Mandeville, playing down the left, was a constant threat and won a free-kick in the closing stages.
Mandeville, Marquis and Houghton stood over the ball to try and bamboozle the home wall. The move ended with a short pass for Marquis, whose first shot was blocked and second was pulled wide.
Williams went close to grabbing a second when he broke away from close to the half-way line. Despite the attentions of four defenders, he got in a shot which clipped the foot of the post and bounced behind.
FULL-TIME: Notts 0 Rovers 1
ROVERS | Marosi, Mason, Alcock, Butler, Baudry (Wright), Rowe (Middleton), Blair, Houghton, Mandeville, Marquis, Williams. ROVERS SUBS | Jones, Keegan, Beestin, Calder, Longbottom. BOOKED | Williams, Mandeville.
NOTTS XI Loach, Richards, Duffy, Hollis, Dickinson (c), Tootle (Laing), Thompson (Oliver), Milsom, Campbell, Stead (Collins), Forte. NOTTS SUBS | Collin, Smith, Audel, Hewitt. BOOKED | Oliver
ATTENDANCE | 5,828 (1,448 away)