Doncaster Rovers 0 Newcastle United 1: Doncaster defeated but push leaders to the limit

With seven games to play, Rovers – who were playing non-league football when Ryan took over as chairman – are still in the race for the Premier League.

A victory for Sheffield United tonight against Cardiff City would help maintain the hunt for play-off qualification.

For a time last night, Rovers had looked capable of shocking leaders Newcastle – in the end, only a solitary goal from striker Andy Carroll divided the two sides.

So the club which has known the big time took the spoils but Rovers, the club hoping to taste the high life some day in the future, emerged with immense pride.

Lifelong Rovers supporter Ryan firmly believes that his adventure as chairman has another golden chapter to unfold.

However, he also fears that suggestions from the Premier League about increasing the level of parachute payments will make it impossible for clubs of lesser resources, such as Doncaster, to gatecrash the game's elite. Only time will tell.

Newcastle manager Chris Hughton kept faith with Carroll last night despite his involvement in an alleged training ground bust-up with team-mate Steven Taylor.

Newspaper reports claim that Carroll, who is also on bail over an alleged city centre assault three months ago, had broken the jaw of his team-mate in a row over an ex-girlfriend.

Taylor, discharged yesterday after spending two nights in a Newcastle hospital, had not played first-team football for over two months due to a knee injury.

Rovers made two changes with striker Billy Sharp, unavailable against Sheffield United under the terms of a 'gentlemen's agreement', replacing injured James Coppinger and Dean Shiels preferred to Jay Emmanuel-Thomas.

Unbeaten in six before kick-off, Rovers lacked nothing in confidence and made a solid start. Newcastle were soon made aware of the speed and precision that surrounds their passing game and could have been a goal down after 21 minutes.

Goalkeeper Steve Harper dived low to deny Sharp and it took a goalline clearance from Danny Simpson to prevent Hayter tapping in the rebound.

By the half hour, Newcastle looked rattled and frustration threatened to boil over after referee Keith Hill booked Taylor for allegedly failing to retreat at a corner.

The Newcastle full-back was hardly to blame as Dean Shiels wasted no time in kicking the ball into his back. Striker Kevin Nolan charged 50 yards across the pitch to give Shiels a piece of his mind.

The incident stoked up the crowd yet Rovers wasted a golden opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

With Newcastle struggling to keep shape, Hayter had space to deliver an inviting ball into the box. Shiels mis-kicked and then Sharp failed to get enough power on his shot to beat Harper.

At this stage, Rovers manager Sean O'Driscoll's calm exterior was contrasting sharply with that of Newcastle boss Hughton and assistant Colin Calderwood, both frantically shouting instructions to their players.

Although Carroll broke away to shoot, the striker was unable to beat goalkeeper Neil Sullivan.

Attacking the away end after the break, Newcastle improved rapidly.

Doncaster's Keepmoat Stadium is one of the smallest in the Championship and a 3,500 away support fills nearly a quarter of its capacity.

Newcastle would probably have been crowned champions already if their away record was anything like as good as their unbeaten home record.

And while it may have been a cold, wet night in South Yorkshire, the noise generated by the Toon Army must have been a reminder of home.

Carroll's goal on 59 minutes lifted the volume to another level. Running onto a pass from Wayne Routledge, the striker held off a Rovers challenge, showed quick feet before finishing with class.

His joy was evident in his celebration and the pressure of the previous 48 hours released.

Although Sharp had the ball in the visitors' net soon after the 'goal' was ruled out by a linesman's flag.

As if Newcastle did not already have enough hotheads on the field, Joey Barton entered the fray for the last 15 minutes after five months away.

Nearly 15,000 supporters attended the game, the second biggest attendance for a league game in several decades in this once tiny corner of South Yorkshire.

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Doncaster Rovers: Sullivan; Chambers, Martis, O'Connor, Roberts (Mutch 87); Wilson (Emmanuel-Thomas 74); Shiels (Spicer 87), Oster, Woods; Hayter, Sharp. Unused substitutes: Hird, McDaid, Smith, Lockwood.

Newcastle United: Harper; R.Taylor, Coloccini, Kadar, Simpson; Routledge (Pancrate 87), Guthrie (Barton 74), Butt, Gutierrez; Nolan, Carroll. Unused substitutes: Enrique, Best, Krul, Ranger, Tozer.

Referee: KD Hill (Hertfordshire).