Saturday Night Takeaway: Doncaster Rovers show they hold the blueprint again in superb win over Lincoln City

Once again, they absorbed everything thrown at them by one of the division’s leading sides and came out on top to secure another superb win that will raise a few eyebrows elsewhere in League One.

It was a game won by a goal of the highest quality, when Ben Whiteman leapt onto the end of a brilliant one-touch move and lashed home a sublime volley two minutes from the break.

But it was the play out of possession, tireless workrate and supreme concentration that laid the foundations for another notable win for Rovers.

Lincoln City arrived at the Keepmoat sitting atop League One having lost just once as well as boasting the division’s best defensive record.

With a high energy approach and excellent organisation, they resembled the best of Rovers this season, as well as demonstrating why they have been successful so far this term.

Yet, they could not break down a Rovers side that to a man stuck to a strict plan, outworked and outfought them from the first whistle to the last.

Darren Moore changed things up with his side in expected fashion - switching Joe Wright to right back for height and physicality, putting Matt Smith into the No. 10 position to unsettle Lincoln high up the pitch.

And it worked superbly, to stem the flow of a dynamic attack and deny the visitors even a single shot on target.

The goal was a timely one but there was a full half left to play - and Rovers could easily have won by a wider margin.

The task now is to figure out how to deliver such flawless work when it is the opposition attempting to shut them down, rather than the other way around. That is where Rovers have come unstuck on numerous occasions this season and it is the area of their game that could hold them back the most.

But one thing is for certain - no top side in the division is going to fancy playing Rovers any time soon.

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