Striker Heffernan's season is now over thanks to a needless headbutt on Southend defender Charlie Mulgrew, but Rovers are favourites to reach the final at Wembley after this result.

Any club would settle for a draw in an away leg and Rovers also needed to avoid defeat to restore confidence after blowing the chance to win automatic promotion against Cheltenham last weekend.

Now, if they beat Southend in the second leg at the Keepmoat Stadium next Friday, Rovers will again be 90 minutes away from ending a 50-year exile from the second tier of League football.

The tiny Roots Hall stadium was not quite full last night, but home supporters generated plenty of noise and brought spectacle to proceedings by waving hundreds of chequered blue and white flags.

After the disappointment of defeat at Cheltenham, Rovers manager Sean O'Driscoll had shuffled his pack – recalling strikers Lewis Guy, Heffernan and Jason Price.

Strikers Mark McCammon and Gareth Taylor dropped to the bench and influential midfielder Richie Wellens was ruled out with a hernia problem.

Southend had finished three places and four points behind Rovers in the League One table, but had gone into the play-offs as the form team after losing just once in 15 games.

In keeping with so many play-off semi-final first legs, both sides were intent on giving nothing away.

Opportunities were limited although Rovers defender Matthew Mills was only inches away from connecting fully with Gareth Roberts's free-kick that had floated across the Southend goal area.

Southend started the brighter, but Rovers improved and gained the initiative midway through the first period.

However, without Wellens pulling the strings in midfield, Rovers often seemed to lack penetration and, in attack, Price struggled to win the important physical battles against Southend's centre-backs.

Southend, who are seeking to bounce back from relegation last season, showed an ability to play pretty football at times, but their forwards were kept on a tight leash by a well-organised Rovers defence.

Goalkeeper Neil Sullivan was required to deal mainly with routine crosses until just moments before the break when he was in the right place at the back post to block a close-range effort from Simon Francis.

Rovers midfielder Paul Green hit a deflected drive from 30 yards, but that was comfortably saved by Southend goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan.

The first half had been predictably tight – not much of a treat for either the 9,109 in attendance or those watching at home on television

But Rovers showed far more adventure after the interval, increasing the tempo and making more runs into the final third.

Southend goalkeeper Flahavan had to claw away Brian Stock's free-kick and Heffernan dragged a shot wide from the edge of the area.

James Walker's dismal attempt to beat Sullivan from 25 yards summed up Southend's growing frustration.

Rovers imposed their passing game on Southend, but striker Price missed a gilt-edged opportunity to break the deadlock.

Running onto a slide-rule pass from Stock that had split the home defence, Price had only Flahavan to beat, but his shot cannoned off the goalkeeper's body and went out for a corner. The Rovers fans call him the 'Afro Goal Machine', but that is clearly more to do with his haircut than any impressive goals-per-game ratio.

The groans from the 800 Rovers supporters behind the goal highlighted the suspicion that the club's promotion attempt had just suffered another setback.

Price attempted to redeem himself with a superb 25-yard volley, but Flahavan proved his equal. Then Heffernan lost his head, snapping at Mulgrew off the ball, and lost with it the possibility of playing at Wembley. Whether his absence will prove costly remains to be seen.

Leeds United manager Gary McAllister and his coach Neil McDonald looked on from the stands as part of their preparations for a possible meeting with the winners.

Leeds, who finished fifth, play Carlisle United, who finished fourth, in the other semi-final.

ian.appleyard@ypn.co.uk

Southend United: Flahavan; Francis, Clarke, Barrett, Mulgrew; Black (Revell 62), Bailey, McCormack, Gower; Walker, Barnard. Unused substitutes: MacDonald, Collis, Robson-Kanu, Moussa.

Doncaster Rovers: Sullivan; O'Connor, Mills, Hird, G.Roberts; Green, Stock; Coppinger (Taylor 90); Price (McCammon 87), Guy (Hayter 80), Heffernan. Unused substitutes: Lee, Woods.

Referee: P Taylor (Hertfordshire).