How Doncaster Rovers kept Stockport County at bay for an impressive point

Rovers collected their ninth and arguably most impressive shutout of the season at Edgeley Park as they held League Two's fourth highest scorers 0-0.

The hosts were quick out of the blocks in front of a sold-out home crowd and with just six minutes gone Jonathan Mitchell was at full stretch to keep out Ryan Dydel’s close-range header and instantly back on his feet to collect the loose ball.

Doncaster started slowly but began to settle and their defensive discipline kept Stockport comfortably at bay for the remainder of the first period.

Muted applause greeted the half-time whistle, the sign of a job well done as far as the visitors were concerned.

But for all their defensive improvements Rovers still struggled in attack and created little in either half.

Their best chance in the first 45 minutes came when Harrison Biggins connected with James Brown's free-kick delivery into the box, but his header was comfortably held by Ben Hinchliffe.

Biggins went closer after the break when he met Charlie Lakin’s cutback inside the area, with his low shot blocked by a Stockport defender.

Rovers’ 11-goal top-scorer George Miller was dropped to the bench for the first time this season despite being fit to start and Ben Close also made way for Luke Molyneux.

Miller’s replacement, Caolan Lavery, also found himself largely starved of service throughout and managed just one effort at goal, which trickled wide.

Mitchell was again at full stretch to keep the score level at the start of the second 45.

Stockport striker Kyle Wootton thought he’d opened the scoring when he connected with a cross at the far post and his effort looked to be heading for the bottom corner before Mitchell got a hand to it.

Brown and Joseph Olowu also blocked goalbound efforts as Stockport searched for an elusive breakthrough.

A brilliant defensive effort from Rovers also saw Tom Anderson clear a 75th-minute corner off the line which appeared to be curling straight in.

Doncaster closed out the game relatively comfortably after that while continuing to offer little attacking threat, although Kyle Hurst might have done better with his shot following a driving run on the counter.