"It's a beginning," said O'Driscoll, when quizzed on a seven-point return from the opening four Championship games.

"I keep saying it's a beginning and so far it's been a good beginning.

"The game doesn't change much in the Championship. It's still 11 against 11 and the rules are the same so I don't know how we would look out of place (in the Championship).

"There will be times I'm sure this season when we'll come off the pitch and hold our hands up and say we've been beaten by the better side. So far we have given a good account of ourselves.

"I think any win in this league you've got to be grateful for. If it's as tight as it was last season then three points at home is a big boost."

Chris Coleman, on the other hand, is bracing himself for "a long, hard season" after watching his Coventry side slip to a third defeat in seven days.

Richie Wellens produced a moment of magic to stun the Sky Blues with a fantastic 25-yard drive that illuminated a frenetic end-to-end encounter after 31 minutes at the Keepmoat Stadium.

Moments earlier, Freddy Eastwood had missed from close range with the goal at his mercy to compound matters for the visitors, who were dumped out of the Carling Cup in midweek by Newcastle and thrashed 3-0 by Bristol City the previous weekend.

After a battling display to take the Magpies to extra-time on Tuesday, Coleman said: "I think we started really lethargic and looked tired and I can't say that is because of the Newcastle game because that was on Tuesday.

"We just started lethargic and I'm not sure about the balance of the team at the minute. We started today without an edge and that was disappointing.

"In the first half, goalkeeper Keiren Westwood really did not have a save to make and they've hit one from 25 yards, a rocket, and there's nothing you can do about that.

"Once we went 1-0 down, Doncaster played counter-attacking football against us, and it was hard to get back into the game.

"We have to go into games much sharper than that. We're not good enough to win the game at half tilt."

Doncaster Rovers: Sullivan, O'Connor, Mills, Hird, Chambers, Coppinger, Stock, Wellens (Byfield 88), Hayter, Taylor (Lockwood 81), Guy (Woods 65). Unused substitutes: Wilson, Heffernan.

Coventry City: Westwood, Hall (Doyle 72), Ward, Dann, Fox, Tabb, Gunnarsson, Beuzelin, Mifsud, Morrison (McKenzie 69), Eastwood (Best 65). Unused substitutes: Turner, Marshall.

Referee: R Shoebridge (Derbyshire).

Man of the match: Richie Wellens.