With the holiday period being unusually early this time, however, it was not expected to be the defining moment in the battle to join runaway leaders Swansea City in next season's Championship.

Unfortunately for Doncaster Rovers, there is little doubt that a miserable Easter has de-railed their bid for automatic promotion.

Claiming just a solitary point from the Good Friday trip to Yeovil Town and yesterday's home encounter with Oldham Athletic means Sean O'Driscoll's side are, barring a collapse of Devon Loch proportions by second-placed Carlisle United, destined for the play-offs.

The Cumbrians, who followed Saturday's convincing win at Leyton Orient by beating Northampton Town 2-0 yesterday, are now five points clear of Rovers with the added bonus of a game in hand. Doncaster manager Sean O'Driscoll is refusing to give up on breaking into the top two just yet, though admits his side have it all to do.

He said: "We cannot do anything about what Carlisle do, but we are still in there fighting. We have got to try and win all our games now."

On the draw with Oldham, O'Driscoll added: "I thought we gave it a right good go.

"The attitude was first class but it just would not go for us," he said.

"Sometimes you need a bit of luck and we are not getting it at the moment."

If, as seems likely, it is the play-off route for Rovers then it is to be hoped they will, by then, have shaken off the promotion nerves that have crept into their play in recent weeks.

The Good Friday defeat at Yeovil – when even an experienced campaigner such as Neil Sullivan was prone to the jitters – meant the pressure was really on O'Driscoll's side.

And it showed with Doncaster almost handing the Latics a goal inside 13 seconds after an almighty mix-up involving Sullivan and his defence, a situation that was only rectified when Adam Lockwood got back to clear from inside the six-yard box.

It set the tone for much of what followed in a disjointed first half with Rovers looking a pale shadow of the side that has won so many admirers in League One this term.

Far too often, a home player would delay his pass a vital few seconds or simply take the wrong option – leading to countless promising situations petering out.

O'Driscoll's men did, admittedly, create some good chances and had two seemingly valid penalty appeals turned down by Darren Deadman – the referee particularly infuriating the home fans when Brian Stock's shot appeared to be handled by David Livermore just before the hour.

But, against an Oldham side so badly hit by injury that manager John Sheridan could only name four substitutes on his bench, they really should have done better.

Rovers took the lead eight minutes before the break when Paul Heffernan made it five goals in six games with a typically predatory finish after the Latics' defence had failed to clear.

The goal should have eased the nerves of players and fans alike, but instead it was Oldham who settled the quicker after the break to draw level courtesy of a 52nd minute volley by substitute Jason Jarrett.

Stung into action, Doncaster poured forward and Lockwood was only denied by a wonderful block on the line by Neal Eardley. Rovers were then handed a golden opportunity to claim a winner deep in stoppage time when goalkeeper Richard O'Donnell scuffed a goal-kick straight to Jason Price only for the substitute to dither and allow the defence to scamper back and clear.

It was a frustrating end to a frustrating afternoon for the home fans whose mood was not helped on the way out of the Keepmoat when news filtered through that Carlisle had won.

Doncaster Rovers: Sullivan; Mills, Lockwood, S Roberts, G Roberts; Coppinger (Taylor 86), Green, Wellens, Stock; McCammon (Price 59), Heffernan (Hayter 79). Unused substitutes: McDaid, Guy.

Oldham Athletic: O'Donnell; Eardley, Hazell, Stam, Lomax; Allott, Livermore, Smalley, C Taylor, Wolfenden (Jerrett 46); Constantine. Unused substitutes: Ollenshaw, Black, Kelly.

Referee: D Deadman (Cambridgeshire).