A warm summer's day welcomed the start of the new season, with Millwall visiting the Keepmoat Stadium this afternoon. For the Rovers it is the first time in three years that they have started the season at home. The last time that they started a season with a win was at the start of 2004-05 when Blackpool, the visitors, went home pointless after a 2-1 loss. For Gordon Greer, Richie Wellens, Martin Woods and James Hayter it's their League debut for the Rovers. Millwall have also been busy during the summer, having signed a number of players so today will be a good test of each side's potential. After all, Millwall came to the Keepmoat in March and took the points with a 2-1 win. The Rovers defended the South Stand end, resplendent in their new red & white hooped shirts, narrower stripes than before and wearing black shorts.

The Rovers set the season going and spent the first minute and a half in the Millwall half culminating in Coppinger getting in a long range header, which Day handled easily. The early minutes saw the Rovers having the better of the play, with Day, in the Millwall goal, having plenty to do. On 8 minutes, Coppinger picked up the ball on the right and tried a shot from 35 yards that dipped just over the bar. A minute later and the home team won the first corner of the game, which was eventually cleared. It was five minutes on before the Lions had their first real effort on goal when Harris received in midfield and sent in a thirty yards effort that Sullivan watched go wide. The Rovers now settled down to their task of trying to score goals. With 17 minutes gone, Coppinger put a free kick from the right low into the middle where Heffernan had a strike beaten out by Day and his follow up effort blocked by a defender. Then Coppinger got away down the right wing but stubbed his foot as he crossed the ball, which was intercepted and cleared. Coppinger again, this time on the left, with some tricky footwork worked the ball back to Wilson, who had a go from 30 yards causing Day to push out for a corner. All this in a two minute spell. Millwall weathered the storm and on 24 minutes were awarded an indirect free kick in the centre of goal twenty yards out. May received the ball but his attempt on goal was blocked and cleared. The match settled down to a more even contest at this point. Just after the half hour, following another Millwall attack, Harris had a clear chance from close range but Sullivan was equal to the challenge, saving with his legs at the expense of a corner. This was cleared to the Millwall right where Dunne crossed, causing a melee in the Rovers six yard box before Sullivan dropped on the ball. Minutes later, Spiller headed over a cross from the Millwall right. Then good work on the Rovers left by Woods resulted in a low cross to Heffernan, who hit a left footer wide of the near post. Alexander headed over a cross from the Millwall left before O'Connor, for the Rovers, cut in from the right  but a weak left foot shot went wide of the far post. With time running down to the break, Spiller headed over from a cross on the left and May headed wide to a cross from the right. The interval arrived following a corner from the Rovers left and with the scoreline still blank.

Millwall set the second half in motion and went straight on to the attack but the Rovers defended well and set up their own assault on the Millwall goal. This came to naught but the scene was set. A few minutes later, Senda, out on the right Millwall touchline sent a cross across the face of the goal and out the other side of the goal. On 51 minutes, a cross from Coppinger, on the Rovers left, to Hayter on the right of the penalty area brought loud claims for a penalty from the Rovers fans as Hayter lifted the ball against Frampton's body before collecting the rebound and firing wide of the far post. Heffernan then went down the inside left channel but shot wide from 20 yards. Millwall hit back with a corner before the Rovers went back to the visiting end. Woods stab at the ball was blocked, Hayter picked up the rebound but Day palmed his shot out for a corner. Following this Heffernan's effort at goal resulted in another corner. Rovers were racking up the corners with another one minutes later but had gained no reward from them. On 64 minutes, a cross from Frampton, on the Millwall left, was met with a header by Dunne at the far post but Sullivan was there to save. Heffernan was just foiled as he steamed in to get on the end of a Coppinger cross then a free kick from the Millwall left was headed wide by Robinson. Back to the other end where Coppinger fired wide. Millwall had the ball in the net after 71 minutes but the referee disallowed it for a foul on Sullivan. McCammon's first touch of the ball was a header wide of the post from an O'Connor cross on the right. Day foiled Heffernan again, this time with a one handed save to a good shot from the striker. Another corner was the result and again nothing gained. Day was in action again after 79 minutes, to save from Heffernan and then blocked a Wellens close range effort but giving away a corner. Into the last nine minutes and McCammon headed wide from a right wing cross from Woods. May received a low cross from the right about 12 yards out but Sullivan saved his low drive. Five minutes to go and a cross from the right by Heffernan was headed goalwards by McCammon but was put out for a corner by a defender. This was punched away by Day. Millwall hit back with Dunne getting in a header to a right wing cross but again Sullivan saved. As 90 minutes showed a cross from the Rovers right was nearly put in by a Millwall defender but resulted in a corner instead. The keeper punched this away as four minutes added-on time was signalled. This produced nothing as regards a winner and the final whistle went on an entertaining game, which only lacked the one ingredient that matters, a goal.

The Rovers were definitely the better side and played a lot of good football but had an inspired keeper, Day, to beat, a feat that they couldn't manage this afternoon.

Teams - ROVERS - Neil Sullivan; James O'Connor, Gordon Greer, Adam Lockwood, Gareth Roberts; James Coppinger, Richie Wellens, Mark Wilson, Martin Woods; James Hayter, Paul Heffernan.

Subs used - Mark McCammon for Coppinger 71 mins; Lewis Guy for Hayter 77 mins; Sean McDaid for Woods 84 mins;

Subs not used - Sam Hird, Ben Smith gk

Millwall - Chris Day; Danny Senda, Richard Shaw, Paul Robinson, Andy Frampton; Danny Spiller, Alan Dunne, Dave Brammer, Neil Harris; Ben May, Gary Alexander.

Subs used - Ryan Smith for Alexander 64 mins; Scott Barron for Spiller 64 mins.

Subs not used - Zak Whitbread, Neal Ardley, Preston Edwards gk. 

Caution - Brammer