Doncaster 1 Shrewsbury 0: Relieved Saunders happy to snatch victory after poor second-half show

A fourth-minute penalty from Billy Paynter was enough to secure all three points for Rovers, the spot-kick awarded after Matt Richards had upended David Cotterill in the box.

But while Doncaster delighted their manager with some impressive football before the half-time break, it was the total opposite afterwards as they nearly gifted visiting Town a way back into the game with some poor passing.

“I thought we played brilliantly first half, scored a great goal, probably should have finished the game off in the first half with the amount of possession we had around their box,” said Saunders.

“In the second half, however, it was the complete opposite, we just couldn’t keep the ball.

“We just had too many players out there who haven’t played, aren’t match fit and second half it showed. In the end , I was just pleased to have the points in the bag.”

It was Shrewsbury’s first visit to Doncaster since the 1997-98 season and they found themselves behind after just four minutes.

Rovers were awarded a penalty in the third minute when Town captain Richards tripped Cotterill inside the box, allowing Paynter to pick his spot from the resulting penalty kick.

David Syers found the back of the net in the 10th minute, but the flag had already been waved up for offside.

The visitors suffered a blow on 32 minutes when Terry Gornell limped off to be replaced by JonTaylor.

Iain Hume was causing problems for the visitors and went close to doubling the home side’s lead in the 36th minute when he shot over.

It was nip and tuck in the opening minutes of the second half as Rovers allowed Town back into the game.

A chance came at the other end when James Husband, who had pushed on down the left, hit the side netting with an angled shot from Syers’s pass.

At the other end, Woods got down well to deal with Aaron Wildig’s angled close-range effort on 69 minutes, before Paul Parry headed wide of the post.

Doncaster Rovers: G Woods, Quinn, Martis, Spurr, Husband, Cotterill, Harper, Syers (Brown 74), Bennett, Paynter (Keegan 64), Hume. Unused substitutes: Sullivan, Blake, M Woods, Wakefield, Middleton.

Shrewsbury Town: Weale,Grandison,Jones,Collins,Richards,Parry, Wildig (Doble 86),Summerfield,Wright (Hall 79),Morgan, Gornell (Taylor 31). Unused substitutes: Anyon, Purdie, Goldson, Hector.

Referee: R Clark (Northumberland).