Extra-time goals from David McGoldrick, debutant sub James Alabi and Ryan Fraser saw the Blues to a 4-1 victory at Doncaster and into the third round of the Capital One Cup for the first time in five years. In normal time Andy Williams had put the home side in front in the 23rd minute with Brett Pitman equalising for the Blues on 58.
Town boss Mick McCarthy named the expected much-changed side with only keeper Dean Gerken, centre-half Tommy Smith, who captained, and strikers McGoldrick and 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.
Rovers switched one-time Blues target Rob Jones for Billy Whitehouse at the break but Town remained unchanged.
The Blues started the second half on the front foot and went close to going in front from a Touré corner on the right in the 48th minute.
The Guinean international’s low kick fell to Pitman, whose shot was well saved by Stuckmann. The loose ball bounced back to the Town striker but the keeper again blocked his shot.
A minute later Coke gave the ball away in midway inside the Doncaster half allowing the home side to break. Curtis Main cut inside Yorwerth but his shot struck Smith and went out for a corner.
From the flag-kick there was further danger for the Blues, Gerken missing his punch and the ball hitting Williams at the far post on the thigh and diverting wide.
Rovers were again looking threatening and on 51 Williams latched onto a poor Kenlock touch, brought the ball to the edge of the area and hit a shot which was too close to Gerken.
The former Swindon man won a rather soft freekick on the edge of the box a minute later when Smith appeared to do little other than lean on him. Main wasted the opportunity, smashing well wide.
Wellens attempted an audacious looping effort from distance in the 54th minute after a loose Town pass but Gerken got back to claim on his line.
On 57 Doncaster again went close, sub Billy Whitehouse cutting in from the left and hitting a shot which Gerken parried away towards Coppinger, who scuffed very wide.
But a minute later, as rain started to fall heavily, the Blues got back on terms. A ball forward into the Rovers box was headed straight up in the air. McGoldrick and Touré looked to get their heads on it as it bounced but it fell perfectly for the on-rushing Pitman, who slammed past Stuckmann to make it 1-1.
Town enjoyed a long spell of possession but without creating another chance before Williams flicked a Coppinger cross from the right wide.
Yorwerth headed a Tabb freekick from the left against a defender in the 68th minute before Wellens shot just over the Town bar. On 70 new signing Alabi replaced goalscorer Pitman.
The former Stoke man almost had a memorable start to his debut chasing a Tabb ball down the middle but he just couldn’t get enough on his header for it to beat the advancing Stuckmann.
Tabb’s 72nd minute cross struck Alabi on the shin and flew wide as the Blues began to put Doncaster under a bit of pressure.
McGoldrick was a whisker away from putting his side in front in the 75th minute, curling a low bouncing effort narrowly the wrong side of Stuckmann’s left post.
Main was booked for a foul on Yorwerth in the 79th minute before Luke Chambers replaced Smith in the Blues backline. From the freekick, taken by Emmanuel, McGoldrick sent the ball across the face of goal and wide when it seemed easier to hit the target.
The Blues were on top as the game moved into its scheduled final five minutes, Cedric Evina doing well to get ahead of Touré to nod Kenlock’s cross from the left behind.
On 87 Touré cut in from the right and hit a powerful shot which Stuckmann plucked out of the air to his left.
Two minutes later the former Levski Sofia man, putting in by far his liveliest display for the Blues, albeit in fits and starts, struck another effort which Stuckmann tipped over the bar.
As the fourth official’s board indicated four additional minutes, McGoldrick hit a low cross shot past the post and too far in front of Touré.
Deep in injury time McGoldrick brought the ball forward before hitting another low shot which Stuckmann - who had almost singlehandedly kept his side level in the second half - deflected wide with his fingertips. Seconds later the referee’s whistle signalled extra-time.
Not realising the tie was going to extra-time, Touré had to retrieve his shirt from a fan in the crowd before the restart having given it away at the end of the 90 minutes.
McGoldrick headed away an early Doncaster freekick, then on 99 Fraser replaced McDonnell, who had suffered a knock. For Rovers, Chaplow was replaced by Harry Middleton a minute later.
In the 102nd minute, the Blues finally managed to beat Stuckmann for a second time. Alabi did well to keep hold of the ball on the right and fed Touré, who crossed to the far post where McGoldrick nodded into the ground and past the keeper.
Three minutes later, it was 3-1. Fraser cut into the area from the left and found McGoldrick, he moved the ball on to Alabi, who touched home a close-range debut goal. Neither side threatened before the end of the first half of extra-time.
Coke slipped as he shot goalwards from Fraser’s cutback in the 107th minute, then a minute later McGoldrick tried a somewhat ambitious chip which the 6ft 6in tall Stuckmann claimed.
At the other end, Main shot just over and then Williams wide but the Blues’ two quick-fire goals had effectively ended the game as a contest.
Any remaining doubts were dispelled in the 113th minute when Fraser found himself space on the left of the area and hit a low shot across Stuckmann and into the net.
Town saw out the remaining minutes comfortably, passing the ball around confidently before McGoldrick curled a freekick just wide and referee Duncan blew his final whistle to confirm the Blues’ place in this evening’s draw for the third round.
As the players applauded the fans behind the goal, Touré returned his shirt to the fan in the crowd.
The draw for the third round will be made after the completion of all tonight's matches. The Blues will be ball number 12. Full numbers here. Third round ties will be played in the week commencing September 21st.
Doncaster: Stuckmann, Taylor-Sinclair, Butler, Jones (c) (Whitehouse 46), McCullough (Lund 19), Evina, Wellens, Main, Coppinger, Chaplow (Middleton 101), Williams. Unused: Marosi, Carberry, Mandeville, P McKay.
Town: Gerken, Emmanuel, Kenlock, Yorwerth, Smith (c) (Chambers 79), Coke, McDonnell (Fraser 99), Tabb, Touré, McGoldrick, Pitman (Alabi 70). Unused: Crowe, Maitland-Niles, Benyu, Sears. Referee: Scott Duncan (Northumberland). Att: 3,729 (Town: 753).