Mid-season report: Doncaster Rovers

Doncaster Rovers gained promotion to the Championship at the end of last season by winning the League One title.

The Yorkshire club won the division by just one point and were expected to struggle in the second tier of English football.

Below, Sports Mole recaps how Donny have fared in the Championship in the first half of the season.

August

Doncaster commenced the campaign with a new manager at the helm. Paul Dickov was appointed as the boss of the Rovers in May, but his reign did not start with the best of results.

Blackpool got the better of his side at the Keepmoat Stadium, winning 3-1, but the hosts bounced back immediately with a narrow 1-0 victory at the same venue over Rochdale in the first round of the League Cup.

It was back-to-back success for Donny at the Keepmoat as they defeated Blackburn Rovers 2-0 next in what was their first win in the Championship, thanks to goals from Theo Robinson and James Husband.

Manager Dickov was probably thinking that his side had done enough to win against Wigan Athletic when Doncaster were 2-0 up at half time at the DW Stadium, but the Latics found the target twice in the second half to earn a 2-2 draw.

The month ended on a bad note for Donny as both Leeds United and Bournemouth won at the Keepmoat Stadium in the League Cup second round and the Championship respectively.

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September

Doncaster began the month of September on a positive note, drawing 0-0 with Huddersfield Town in a Yorkshire derby at the John Smith's Stadium.

However, in their very next fixture just three days later, Dickov's team went down 2-1 at Watford, conceding an 87th-minute penalty that was successfully converted by Lewis McGugan.

The Rovers put up quite a show at the Keepmoat in their next match, despite failing to register a win against promotion-chasing Nottingham Forest. Federico Macheda, on loan from Manchester United, scored twice to help them draw 2-2 at home.

There was yet more joy for Donny the following weekend as they edged past Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 away from home in yet another Yorkshire derby. Italian striker Macheda was once again the star of the show, scoring what proved to be the winner in the 71st minute as Doncaster ended September in 17th place.

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October

Burnley broke Doncaster's undefeated sequence of two matches at the start of October when they won 2-0 at the Keepmoat, although Dickov led his side to a 1-0 home victory over Leicester City in their next match.

It was no easy feat either, as the Foxes are one of the favourites to gain promotion to the Premier League at the end of the campaign. An own goal from goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel saw Donny win only their third league match of the season.

The month ended on a bad note for the Yorkshire side as they suffered 4-1 and 4-0 defeats to Reading and Middlesbrough respectively away from home to head into November just three points above the relegation zone.

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November

Doncaster endured their third successive league defeat at the start of the month as they went down 3-1 at home to Brighton & Hove Albion, conceding twice in the final five minutes.

Things improved in the following two Championship fixtures for Donny. First they drew 0-0 with Barnsley in a Yorkshire derby and then edge past Yeovil Town 2-1 at home, Mark Duffy's 82nd-minute free kick winning the contest for the 10-man hosts.

Donny's inconsistent season continued as they fell 2-0 to Charlton Athletic at The Valley, before registering a memorable 2-1 victory over the division's strongest side Queens Park Rangers.

Paul Quinn's 89th-minute goal inflicted on QPR their second Championship defeat of the season and helped propel Doncaster to seven points away from the relegation zone.

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December

Matches came thick and fast for Doncaster in the final month of 2013 and they appeared to wilt under pressure. A 1-1 draw with Birmingham City at St Andrew's was following by a 3-0 away loss to Bolton Wanderers.

Then Leeds United came to town and went away with a comfortable 3-0 victory, before Derby County inflicted a 3-1 defeat on Dickov's side.

Rovers conceded three goals for the fourth match in a row as they slumped to a 3-0 home defeat to Ipswich Town, but ended the year on a slightly better note, drawing 0-0 with Millwall at the Keepmoat to head into the New Year just a place and two points above the drop zone.

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