Elastico Superfly Mid Night UK Walsall bounced back from an FA Cup drubbing at Reading to beat Doncaster 2-1 and climb back into the top two as visiting boss Sean O’Driscoll celebrated victory on his return to the Keepmoat Stadium.
Goals from Sam Mantom and Andy Taylor in the space of four second-half minutes did the damage and although Liam Mandeville pulled one back for Rovers late on, the Saddlers were not going to be denied.
The woodwork thwarted Rovers centre-half Aaron Taylor-Sinclair after 26 minutes when he met James Coppinger’s corner with a first-time effort that bounced against the top of the bar.
Andy Williams teed up Harry Middleton, whose shot was saved by Craig MacGillivray, and seconds later Williams curled one narrowly wide.
The Saddlers went close early in the second half when Paul Downing headed Milan Lalkovic’s corner against the goal frame and away to safety.
Walsall took the lead after an hour as Mantom burst through a couple of challenges and slammed a low shot into the bottom corner from 20 yards.
Hypervenom Phantom II AG UK Taylor doubled the advantage four minutes later. Romaine Sawyers brilliantly tricked his way past two defenders and laid the ball across the area, where it fell to Taylor, whose deflected effort beat debut goalkeeper Chris Neal.
Sub Mandeville gave Rovers hope with an excellent 80th-minute goal, curling home from just outside the box, before stinging the palms of MacGillivray as the visitors hung on.
Magista Obra IC UK An early goal from Carl Dickinson lifted Port Vale to within a point of the play-off places as they secured a 1-0 victory over Swindon.
Vale got off to a flying start with skipper Dickinson netting his first goal of the season in the sixth minute.
Louis Dodds dug out a far-post cross from the right byline and Dickinson rose to plant a header low inside Lawrence Vigouroux’s right-hand post from eight yards.
MercurialX Proximo Black UK Dodds also whipped a swerving 25-yard shot against Vigouroux’s right-hand post, with the Swindon keeper motionless, in the 19th minute.
But the visitors were very much in the game and Jon Obika fired his shot too close to Vale keeper Jak Alnwick when well placed.
Much of the play was competitive but uninspiring and Vale failed to make the most of several promising situations in the early part of the second period.
Mercurial Superfly CR7 BHM UK Swindon applied late pressure but failed to place a serious dent in a solid home rearguard that was superbly led by Richard Duffy.