Danny Schofield's Doncaster Rovers turn on the style but Stevenage get the result

Watching Danny Schofield's version of Doncaster Rovers for the first time at his new home stadium was much more enjoyable, so it was a pity it was watched by their smallest League Two crowd of the season.

Those who only saw the result – a 1-0 defeat – might not be rushing along to Saturday's game against Gillingham, however.

Steve Evans's Steveange are rarely accused of being stylists, but they are in the automatic promotion spaces Doncaster are eyeing up.

Schofield could point to the performance to show McSheffrey was wrong to say these players are incapable of fluent football, but his predecessor could point to the result.

Evans, Schofield's manager at Rotherham United, is much less interested in all that fluff and his team were able to take advantage of a defensive lapse to win but there is probably a reason why only 170 made the trip north.

Centre-back Ro-Shaun Williams was hounded down by Jamie Reid inside the first minute as he dwelt on the ball.

For another team it could have been a warning, but Schofield’s carried on the same way. Being sacked after just nine games in charge of Huddersfield Town has not scared him out of his principles and into the search for instant gratification.

Schofield's strong beliefs were shown when captain Adam Clayton was told he would be on the bench, missing his first 79 League Two minutes of the season before coming on.

Williams and Jonathan Mitchell had a mix-up a couple of minutes later when they almost bumped into each other outside the penalty area. Williams took control, taking the ball almost off his goalkeeper's toe, Mitchell took umbrage.

Mitchell is clearly looking forward to playing a bit, chipping some easy-on-the-eye passes. One, though, was laid back to be hoofed downfield, another was just too high for Adam Long, who could only flick a header out for another long throw-in.

Not everyone came for fantasy football. "Forwards!" screamed one fan as Tom Anderson held the ball on halfway waiting for options.

When Kyle Knoyle pulled the ball back after a run into Stevenage's area a supporter demanded to know "Why didn't you shoot!" That was the same instruction given to Ben Close when he opted to feed the ball wide.

The longer the game went on, the more desperate and frustrated the cries became. There were a few boos at full-time, but the majority clapped their team off.

Not that the way they were trying to play was an excuse for the dozy defending which let Jordan Roberts run into space and flick a header into the net in the 25th minute.

But there was plenty of good amongst the bad.

Doncaster played a 3-4-3 with wing-backs high when their team had the ball and the wingers came off the line into inside-forward positions. Feeding the ball wide was a big part of the masterplan.

From one of those pockets Kyle Hurst picked the ball up in the 12th minute and went on a run only ended by Alex Gilbey's slide tackle.

George Miller found a lot of space from a Kyle Knoyle cross, but not the net. He had a shot blocked after another delivery from the wing-back.

But it was Harrison Biggins who very nearly produced the highlight of the evening when he picked the ball up just into the Stevenage half of the centre circle. Seeing Taye Ashby-Hammond off his line, he chanced his arm and hit the crossbar.

Knoyle headed wide a corner won and delivered by his right-side partner Luke Molyneux. A Miller shot on the turn was blocked, along with the Biggins follow-up.

But Stevenage were alive to looseness, and the half ended with Reid putting Williams on his backside, but Mitchell beat the shot away.

Doncaster's control was highlighted by Stevenage's triple substitution before the hour but not in Ashby-Hammond's workload. The 64th-minute James Maxwell shot off the line was their first on target and dribbling at the goalkeeper via a deflection, Jon Taylor's was barely worthy of being called the other.

With Stevenage more reluctant to go searching for mistakes, Doncaster produced fewer.

With 16 minutes left, Evans replaced his No 10 with a third centre-back but it did not stop Luke Molyneux creating the change of the night with four minutes to go. Biggins inexplicably headed wide from his splendid far-post isolation.

Schofield's message will be that playing this way will bring its reward in time. Whether it can bring a return to League One remains to be seen but the ride should be fun.

Doncaster Rovers: Mitchell; Williams, Anderson, Long; Knoyle, Biggins, Close (Clayton 79), Maxwell; Molyneux, Hurst (Taylor 72); Miller (Agard 72). Unused substitutes: Jones, Woltman, Seaman, Faulkner.Stevenage: Ashby-Hammond; Wildin, Sweeney, Vancooten, Clark (Campbell 58); Reeves, Gilbey, Roberts (Bostwick 86), Read (Taylor 58), Rose; Reid (Norris 58). Unused substitutes: Chapman, Piergianni, Earley.Referee: S Stockbridge (Tyne and Wear).