Andy Williams’s 23rd minute goal has given Doncaster Rovers a 1-0 lead over the Blues at half-time in their Capital One Cup second round tie at the Keepmoat Stadium.
Town boss Mick McCarthy named the expected much-changed side with only keeper Dean Gerken, centre-half Tommy Smith, who captained, and strikers David McGoldrick and Brett Pitman having started at Preston on Saturday.
Josh Emmanuel was at right-back, Myles Kenlock on the left and Josh Yorwerth alongside Smith at the centre of the defence.
In midfield, Adam McDonnell, 18, was handed his Town debut alongside Giles Coke in the centre with Jay Tabb on the left and Larsen Touré on the right.
Former Town loanees Richard Chaplow and Richie Wellens started in the Doncaster midfield along with one-time target James Coppinger.
Following a minute’s silence as a mark of respect to those that died in the Shoreham air disaster, the Blues started brightly, Emmanuel and Touré interchanging down the right on a number of occasions.
On six, the duo won a corner from which Town weren’t too far away from going in front. Touré’s flag-kick reached Yorwerth on the edge of the six-yard box and the central defender, a scorer in the first round victory over Stevenage, struck a half-volley towards goal.
Rovers keeper Thorsten Stuckmann saved but couldn’t hold on and Pitman looked to seize on the loose ball. Stuckmann again blocked and took umbrage with Pitman for having gone for the ball when he felt it was already his, referee Scott Duncan agreeing with the German keeper.
Pitman was briefly spoken to by the referee for shoving the keeper in response to his complaints.
Touré created a chance for Tabb with a low cross from the left but the midfielder’s first touch let him down, then on 13 Pitman sent McGoldrick away on the right and the striker cut in and hit a shot which Stuckmann saved sharply down to his left.
Pitman ought to have put the Blues in front on the quarter hour when played in down the middle by Touré's clever pass as Town broke quickly from a Doncaster freekick, but the summer signing from Bournemouth shot wide when under pressure. Two minutes later, McGoldrick went wide from the right.
Doncaster were forced into a change on 19 when Luke McCullough was replaced by Mitchell Lund.
The Blues had had all the game’s chances but in the 23rd minute the home side went in front. Aaron Taylor-Sinclair’s freekick from the right was punched out by Gerken when under pressure from Andy Butler and the ball reached Wellens on the edge of the box.
The ex-Town loanee floated the ball to the far post from where the unmarked Andy Williams headed back across goal and into the net to give Rovers a lead against the overall run of play.
Three minutes after the goal McDonnell scraped a shot wide from distance, Emmanuel having brought the ball in from the right.
But having gone in front Doncaster had got on top and in the 34th minute they weren’t far away from increasing their lead, Chaplow crossing low to Coppinger from the right and Yorwerth sliding in to divert the ball behind.
Kenlock was booked for a foul on 35, Wellens hitting Taylor-Sinclair’s freekick into the ground and over at the far post.
The Blues came close to an equaliser in the 40th minute when Pitman chased a Tabb long ball and lobbed the advancing Stuckmann. The ball struck the the bar and rebounded out to McGoldrick but the Blues number 10 screwed his shot wide from a tight angle. On 42 Chaplow was booked for a foul on Touré.
Neither side threatened again before the end of the half. The Blues had started on top and had had chances to go in front, the best Yorwerth’s opportunity and Pitman’s first one-on-one, before Doncaster scored with their first serious shot on goal.
The momentum swung towards the home side after they had gone in front and they might have extended their lead before Pitman had another good chance in the closing stages.
Blues boss McCarthy will want to see a bit more control from his players in the second half after a largely scrappy first period, while he will feel his side ought to have taken at least one of their chances.
Doncaster: Stuckmann, Taylor-Sinclair, Butler, Jones (c), McCullough (Lund 19), Evina, Wellens, Main, Coppinger, Chaplow, Williams. Subs: Marosi, Middleton, Carberry, Mandeville, P McKay, Whitehouse.
Town: Gerken, Emmanuel, Kenlock, Yorwerth, Smith (c), Coke, McDonnell, Tabb, Touré, McGoldrick, Pitman. Subs: Crowe, Chambers, Maitland-Niles, Alabi, Fraser, Benyu, Sears. Referee: Scott Duncan (Northumberland).