Ahead of tomorrow's home game against Sheffield United and Saturday's trip to Barnsley, O'Driscoll admitted his side need to show composure when they go behind and disputed Southampton's first penalty.

He said: "I thought we started really brightly and in the first half looked like we were going to score. If we could have got the first goal I think it could have changed the game.

"In the second half, we held them off for five minutes and perhaps we were a bit gung-ho. If you throw caution to the wind, teams are set up to counter-attack and defend.

"Perhaps we lost our discipline after the first goal and ended up being 2-0 down and that's something we need to learn from. Once we'd calmed down and got our shape back we were probably the dominant force.

"The first penalty was harsh and having had a quick look at the DVD after the game I think the referee's position shows he had no angle on the tackle and it looks like it was a bit of a guess."

The Saints, who lost at Rotherham in the Carling Cup in midweek, had been on the back foot for the majority of the first half but were much sharper after the interval and ran out winners after Matt Mills's 50th-minute own goal and Andrew Surman's penalty eight minutes later.

Saints went ahead five minutes after the break as David McGoldrick ran into the area and his low shot from a narrow angle was deflected past Neil Sullivan by former Saints trainee Mills.

The Saints doubled their advantage after Adam Lallana was brought down by Richie Wellens and Surman sent Sullivan the wrong way from the spot. Sullivan guessed right in the 79th-minute and saved Surman's spot kick after Sam Hird brought down Lallana.

Doncaster Rovers: Sullivan, O'Connor, Mills, Hird, Roberts, Coppinger, Stock, Wellens, Guy (Heffernan 68), Byfield (Hayter 68), Price. Unused substitutes: Lockwood, Chambers, Woods.

Southampton: Davis, James, Wotton, Lancashire, Mills, Cork, Lallana, Schneiderlin (Perry 66), Surman, John (Pekhart 13), McGoldrick (White 82). Unused substitutes: Forecast, Paterson.

Referee: M Russell (Hertfordshire).

Man of the match: Andrew Surman.