Doncaster Rovers 2 Swindon Town 2: Rollercoaster Rovers blow handsome two-goal buffer as Ian Holloway's changes spook hosts

For Rovers, with eyes on not just automatic promotion, but the title, it will be more keenly felt.

Leading 2-0 at the break, thanks to a goal inside 20 seconds from in-form Rob Street - his fifth in six matches for the club - and a first in the league from Joe Sbarra, they had the game firmly where they wanted it.

And then it changed. A triple substitution from Ian Holloway, still a wily old fox, reaped an orchard. Two replacements in Dan Butterworth and Joe Westley soon levelled it up in stunning fashion as the visitors suddenly scented a shock win to boost their slim play-off hopes.

Rovers dusted themselves down and dominated the last quarter, but couldn’t find that winner.

Amid exceedingly pleasant weather for this time of year, Rovers made hay while the sun shone, with a smart performance crowned with two smart goals from a smart side. Less so after.

Conjecture ahead of kick-off surrounded five home changes, with Rovers’ entire back four from the previous game at Bromley not involved in the match-day squad.

Inside the opening 20 seconds, the talk was about a Doncaster opener - officially after 19 seconds.

George Broadbent played a ball around the corner and it caught Robins defender Ryan Delaney flat-footed with the athletic Street surging away before finishing with a pinpoint low strike. Just the job given Rovers’ ability to find the net over 90-odd minutes at Bromley.

It was down Swindon’s problematic left-sided defensive channel that the second goal germinated on 22 minutes.

This was all to do with the sorcery of Luke Molyneux, who had far too much cleverness for marker Miguel Freckleton.

After getting past the Sheffield United loanee with classic wing-play, his low centre gravitated to Sbarra, who crowned his restoration to the starting line-up with another clinical low finish.

Swindon’s backline looked susceptible and while they weathered the storm and had a couple of moments themselves, you always fancied Rovers going the other way, as they mixed the play up intelligently.

Teddy Sharman-Lowe made one decent save at his near-post to keep out Joel Cotterill’s fierce drive, while Kabongo Tshimanga fired a shot wide. But it was largely comfortable for a Rovers backline featuring captain Owen Bailey, with Jay McGrath and Joe Olowu among those not involved, with Swindon’s 15-goal danger man Harry Smith kept quiet.

No doubt not particularly amused by events in the first half, Holloway made three changes at the interval.

To say they revived the Robins was the understatement of the year and within six minutes, they were level.

A warning when Smith fired a rebound wide after Sharman-Lowe beat away Will Wright’s simply wasn’t heeded.

One replacement in Botan Ameen saw his dinked cross headed clear by Anderson. Sbarra couldn’t complete the clearance job and the ball sat up well for Butterworth, who lashed a low shot home from just outside the ball.

Moments later, it was all-square.

Ameen again caused damage and his low cross found Westley, who netted from close range with Rovers again undressed again at the back.

It could and maybe should have got worse, with Smith heading a great chance over from jus his sort of range usually.

Rovers regrouped and recovered. Attacking the Black Bank, who provided much-needed fuel, Jordan Gibson, who led the fightback, tested Connor Ripley.

Rovers knocked on the door and tempers got raised at times with referee Leigh Doughty.

Chances came. Gibson, clean through, saw his effort blocked and shot a Ripley late on.

In between, that old goalslinger in Billy Sharp netted, but the offside flag spoiled the fun.

Doncaster Rovers: Sharman-Lowe; Nixon, Anderson, Bailey, Senior; Crew (Sharp 84), Broadbent; Molyneux, Sbarra (Clifton 71), Gibson; Street (Ironside 71). Unused substitutes: Lawlor, Wood, Ennis, Westbrooke.

Swindon Town: Ripley; McGregor (Ameen 46), Wright, Delaney, Freckleton; Ofoborh (Butterworth 46), Kilkenny; Cotterill (Sobowale 85), Nichols (Glatzel 74), Tshimanga (Westley 46); Smith. Unused substitutes: Bycroft, Cain.

Referee: L Doughty (Lancs).

Attendance: 7,440.