Gary McSheffrey made no fewer than ten changes to the side that beat Northampton Town 1-0 last weekend with only 18-year-old centre-back Bobby Faulkner retaining his place.
The result was a performance short on entertainment as a mixture of young professionals, youth-teamers and fringe players struggled to click, though there were some encouraging individual performances.
Here's how we rated the Rovers players.
. Louis Jones - 8
Doncaster's man of the match, according to Gary McSheffrey. A vocal first appearance of the season for Jones who made numerous smart stops throughout to keep Newcastle at bay. Photo: HOWARD ROE, Howard Roe/AHPIX LTD
. Charlie Seaman - 7
Very good defensively all night. Could have been quicker to help out on the overlap in the first period but otherwise a sound display. Photo: HOWARD ROE
. James Maxwell - 6
A steady display from left-back for the young Scot upon his return to the side. Made a great break forward in the second half to try and create an opening, but his cross was too high for a teammate. Photo: HOWARD ROE
. Bobby Faulkner - 7
Another encouraging display but his mistakes almost cost Rovers more than once. Got out of jail early on when his pass was blocked and the ball came back off the post. Also had Louis Jones to thank in the second half when Newcastle's striker got the better of him in front of goal. Still, made plenty of important clearances and interceptions. Photo: Howard Roe/AHPIX LTD
. Adam Long - 7
Best performance yet in a Doncaster shirt. Looked solid all night minus one or two shaky moments distributing the ball. Made a great run to connect with Molyneux's free-kick for what should have been the winning goal. Photo: HOWARD ROE
2. Louis Jones - 8
Doncaster's man of the match, according to Gary McSheffrey. A vocal first appearance of the season for Jones who made numerous smart stops throughout to keep Newcastle at bay. Photo: HOWARD ROE, Howard Roe/AHPIX LTD
3. Charlie Seaman - 7
Very good defensively all night. Could have been quicker to help out on the overlap in the first period but otherwise a sound display. Photo: HOWARD ROE
4. James Maxwell - 6
A steady display from left-back for the young Scot upon his return to the side. Made a great break forward in the second half to try and create an opening, but his cross was too high for a teammate. Photo: HOWARD ROE