After a day of intermittent rain it was a fine evening although a bit on the cold side. Tonight's visitors to the Keepmoat Stadium are Yeovil Town, who should have played at Belle Vue just before Christmas but it was postponed because of a waterlogged pitch. So the Glovers get their first taste of the new ground sooner than they would have done. Yeovil are in second place in the table after a recent good run coupled to the failures of teams like Oldham Athletic, who have slipped in their last few games. The Green and Whites are something of a bogy team for the Rovers having had some spectacular victories over the Rovers harking back to the Conference days.

The Rovers, having got over the flu crisis have been hit with injuries from the Port Vale game that have hit key personnel. Paul Heffernan will be missing for a few matches with an ankle injury and Alan Wright, James Coppinger and Mark McCammon also took knocks sufficient to keep them out of tonight's game. So, it is a quick return for Sean McDaid to the first team having come through a reserve match last Wednesday to replace Wright, with Lewis Guy and Jonathan Forte also starting the game. For Yeovil, Scott Guyett, a central defender, failed a fitness test on his ankle, which he injured on Saturday in the win over Swansea City. Also out is the experienced Andy Lindegaard with a groin injury. Long term injury victims are Mark Lynch and Paul Terry. The Rovers defended the South Stand end in the first half.

Yeovil started the game but the Rovers put in the first attack immediately through Forte on the left but the referee ruled the ball was over the byline when he crossed, although the linesman didn't give it. a couple of minutes later and the visitors caused a scare in the Rovers penalty area before a chip into the middle from the left went out past the far post. On 7 minutes, a cross from the left by Stewart found Cohen in space to the right of the Rovers area with a clear sight of goal but he made a mess of his attempt to shoot and McDaid came in to clear. The visitors were looking the more dangerous when they came forward but on 16 minutes, Forte got in a cross from the left that came back out to Green but his 25 yarder was wide of the mark. The first corner of the game came two minutes later, to the Rovers but was cleared. The Rovers had awakened and were now pushing on. A great run down the right by Price, with some tricky footwork on the byline to take him past a defender, gave him the chance to pull the ball back to Green but he mis-kicked although the ball went to Price, whose shot was blocked for a corner. Forte then had a shot from 20 yards blocked before Guy broke into the penalty area, two defenders blocking his shot from 12 yards. A good spell from the Rovers but no end result as yet. As the half hour came up, Yeovil lifted the siege and put in a couple of attacks, each of which ended with Gray putting over the bar. A corner to the Rovers was followed minutes later by Yeovil going down their left, with Davies crossing for Gray in the middle but Sullivan made the catch. On 38 minutes, the Rovers, in a sustained attack, forced three consecutive corners. The second one was flicked on at the near post for Lee to head in but there was a phalanx of Yeovil bodies in the way to produce a third corner, which was cleared. Isolated attacks by Yeovil showed them as a danger but their finishing let them down. The break came with the Rovers on the attack but they went in with the match still goalless.

The first real action of the second half came with Forte going down the Rovers left in the first minute but his final shot was wide. Then a few minutes later a good run by Forte, down the right this time, saw the cross reach Price in the middle but his control let him down. A catch for Sullivan following a Yeovil attack, had him throwing out to Price, who went down the left before releasing Wilson, whose drive from 25 yards was comfortably pouched by Mildenhall. Then another effort from Forte was saved by Mildenhall, who was much the busier keeper in this match. Constant pressure from the Rovers was relieved on 65 minutes when the visitors were awarded a free kick thirty yards out on their right. Jones took the kick, which ran out of play. The referee hadn't given him the signal so he booked him and ordered a re-take. This time he put the ball into the danger area and it was only with much difficulty that the Rovers defence got it away. The Rovers went straight to the other end where Price hit a tremendous drive from 25 yards but Jones literally threw his body at the ball and blocked it. Law, for Yeovil, then put wide from distance. A terrific 50 yard run by Wilson after 78 minutes was finished with a weak shot wide. A minute later and a good move down the Rovers right involving Stock, Guy and Price was crossed into the middle by O'Connor, the ball came out to McDaid but his effort from just outside the Yeovil penalty area was just over the bar. Apart from an effort from Cohen that was well wide after 82 minutes the Rovers had the great majority of the play as the clock ran down to the final whistle. At the end of the day, neither side had any clear cut chances at goal but for the Rovers with 80% of the play it was a disappointing result.

Teams - ROVERS - Neil Sullivan; James O'Connor, Adam Lockwood, Graeme Lee, Sean McDaid; Paul Green, Mark Wilson, Brian Stock, Jonathan Forte; Jason Price, Lewis Guy.

Subs used - Sean Thornton for Guy 87 mins; Craig Nelthorpe for Forte 87 mins;

Subs not used - Sam Hird, Jon-Paul Pittman, Barry Richardson gk.

Yeovil Town - Steve Mildenhall; Terrell Forbes, Terry Skiverton, Matthew Rose, Nathan Jones; Arron Davies, Chris Cohen, Jean-Paul Kalala, Nicky Law; Wayne Gray, Marcus Stewart. 

Subs used - Lee Morris for Stewart 72 mins; Peter Sweeney for Davies 80 mins;

Subs not used - Anthony Tonkin, Anrthony Barry, Martin Brittain, , .

Cautions - Jones,