Match report from the County Ground, Swindon

Coca Cola League One

Fulltime Swindon Town 1 Doncaster Rovers 2

Eleventh placed Doncaster Rovers entered this match undefeated in the last four matches, but Donny's only away victory came at Swansea two months ago. An ongoing shoulder injury prevented a playing return for ex-Swindon midfielder Kevin Horlock.

Meanwhile, two places higher in the League One table, Swindon were looking to expunge the memory of the loss at lowly Port Vale last weekend, and despite threatening major changes, Paul Sturrock opted for the same starting line-up.

In the first minute, Peter Brezovan went down smartly to parry a low free kick from his right, then immediately at the other end, Craig Easton released Simon Cox who required treatment after a collision with Neil Sullivan in the visitors' goal, but a generally stale first 20 minutes saw few chances for either side.

After 21 minutes, Sofiene Zaaboub fed striker Billy Paynter whose ball to Cox finally produced a shot on goal that crashed wide of Sullivan's left hand post.

Five minutes later Lewis Guy found space on the left and arrowed in on Town's goal before Jerel Ifil produced a magnificent tackle to deny the Rovers man.

The crowd was growing restless as referee Horwood gave a succession of decisions against the home side, but when Paynter was floored on the edge of the Doncaster box, Jon-Paul McGovern drove the resultant free-kick into the midriff of Sullivan.

But half an hour into the match the deadlock was broken.

With play switched to the Swindon end of the pitch, Doncaster midfielder Brian Stock collected a defence splitting defence, and as Town's defence hesitated, fired a low shot past Peter Brezovan's left hand into the net.

A minute later, Cox had a chance to redress the balance, but he placed his shot well over from a Zaaboub cross, then eight minutes from the interval a horrendous defensive mix-up nearly let in Lewis Guy before Brezovan denied him low to his left when a second Doncaster goal looked odds-on.

Halftime Swindon Town 0 Doncaster Rovers 1

The second half was less than two minutes old when Zaaboub showed great persistence to win the ball on the Doncaster corner flag. His ball into the box towards Paynter and Cox was fumbled by Sullivan and somehow ended up in the net with Cox claiming his fifth goal of the season as Town drew level.

The second half was proving a livelier affair than the opening stages of the first as both teams opened the play up.

Lee Peacock tried a spectacular overhead kick that went wide, then on 70 minutes an equally speculative 35 yard shot from Stock failed to test Brezovan.

But almost immediately afterwards, Jason Price, who had been a nuisance all match, shrugged off a challenge to shoot from eight yards. His deflected effort found Guy who made no mistake and restored the visitors' lead.

Donny's tails were up and James Hayter's shot whistled past Brezovan's right hand post demonstrating their confidence. Then Sullivan plunged to the base of his right hand post to keep out a 30-yard effort from substitute Christian Roberts.

Bizarrely, Hayter was played in on goal by referee Horwood with five minutes to go, but the Rovers' forward was unable to make the most of his good fortune.

With Barry Corr, Roberts and Blair Sturrock all now on the pitch, Town threw caution to the wind but failed to make the chance that would claw back a point.

Fulltime Swindon Town 1 Doncaster Rovers 2

Swindon Town: Peter Brezovan, Miguel Comminges, Jerel Ifil, Hasney Aljofree, Andrew Nicholas (Sturrock 88), Jon-Paul McGovern, Lee Peacock, Craig Easton, Sofiene Zaaboub (Roberts 75), Simon Cox, Billy Paynter (Corr 80). Subs: Christian Roberts, Barry Corr, Chris Blackburn, Steve Adams, Blair Sturrock.

Doncaster Rovers: Neil Sullivan, James O'Connor, Matthew Mills (y 58), Adam Lockwood, Gareth Roberts, Lewis Guy (Woods 77), Mark Wilson, Brian Stock, Richie Wellens (Green 86), Jason Price (Stephen Roberts 84) , James Hayter. Subs: Martin Woods, Stephen Roberts, Sean McDaid, Paul Green, James Coppinger.