Niall Mason felt Rovers showed they can mix it with the top teams in Sky Bet League One after the 1-1 draw with Barnsley.
Grant McCann’s side took a second-half lead through Herbie Kane, before being pegged back by Cauley Woodrow’s leveller.
He said: “We’ve played to that level a few times this season, we’ve shown we’re capable of mixing it with the best in this league.
“We gained control after we conceded, every team is going to have spells but we managed things well.
“Our aim at the start of season was to challenge for promotion and we’ve never gone away from that, I think if we’d won then we would have been back in the mix.”
Mason deputised in the centre of defence in the absence of the suspended Tom Anderson, and says he felt comfortable alongside club captain Andy Butler.
He added: “I had to do a job for the team with Tom Anderson’s suspension, but it’s a position I know well and played there a lot when I was younger.
“I’d worked a lot in the build up to the game on dealing with their threats, and felt as though I did well in there.
“As a squad we’ve had a good week on the back of a tough spell, it shows the strength of character within the group.”
Rovers return to the Keepmoat Stadium to take on Blackpool on Tuesday 27 November. Tickets are available from the Club Doncaster Box Office, on 01302 762576 or at tickets.clubdoncaster.co.uk.