The Rovers defended the South Stand end as they lined up against West Ham United for the first time in 53 years. Their only changes from Tuesday were Mustapha Dumbuya replacing Sam Hird and Giles Barnes starting in place of the injured Ryan Mason. The Rovers set the game in motion and the first five minutes were spent by both teams sounding each other out. Then in the 6th minute, Collison received the ball halfway inside the Rovers half on the visitors right and crossed to the far post. Both the Hammers and Rovers players left it to one another leaving NOLAN to steal in and plant it into the net. The next five minutes had the Rovers winning 2-1 on corners but nothing came from them. General midfield play followed until the 18th minute when Nolan found himself in space twenty yards out and, with Woods off his line, chipped the keeper but saw the ball hit the bar and then cleared. At the other end Brown scuffed a shot from the edge of the area for Green to save easily. Then minutes later and Bennett got a sight of goal but the sting was taken off the shot by a defender leaving Green the easy task of collecting the ball. A corner to the Hammers came in the 25th minute but Tomkins headed over the bar. The visitors were having the better of the territorial play and past the half hour won successive corners, which the Rovers defended well. Then a cross from Collison on the right was headed over by Taylor. The last ten minutes of the half was fairly sterile play, with the Rovers battling hard to make progress but having little success in the middle of the field. The break came with the Hammers holding their lead reasonably comfortably. Half Time - Doncaster Rovers 0 West Ham United 1 The Rovers came out and after five minutes of indeterminate play began to have a better part in the proceedings. A couple of corners came to nothing and a free kick to the Rovers was headed wide by Friend. The West Ham defenders were getting their bodies in the way to block crosses and shots but the Rovers were certainly having a good spell as they battled for a goal. Then in the 65th minute a West Ham break brought them a corner. Although this was cleared they managed to keep the ball in the Rovers half. Nolan received the ball from a throw in on the right, got to the byline before crossing causing Woods to tip the ball over the bar. The corner was cleared out to Coppinger but his pull back across goal for Barnes wasn''t strong enough. However, Bennett recovered the ball and gave to Barnes, who fired over. Then a long ball out of the Hammers defence sent Cole clear down the right but his angled shot went into the sidenet. Back came the Rovers but their efforts foundered on the rocks that made up the Hammers defence whilst Green turned a cracking effort from Gillett round the post. The rovers had played well in the second half but all in vain leaving West Ham to take home the three points. Result - Doncaster Rovers 0 West Ham United 1 Teams - ROVERS - Gary Woods: Mustapha Dumbuya, Richard Naylor, George Friend, Tommy Spurr: James Coppinger, Simon Gillett, Kyle Bennett, John Oster, Giles Barnes: Chris Brown Subs used - Paul Keegan for Barnes 76 mins: James Baxendale for Bennett 76 mins: Sam Hird for Gillett 83 mins: Subs not used - Oscar Radford, Neil Sullivan gk Caution - Brown 57 mins: West Ham United - Robert Green: Joey O''Brien, James Tomkins, Winston Reid, Herita Ilunga: Jack Collison, Scott Parker, Mark Noble, Kevin Nolan, Matthew Taylor: Frederic Piquionne Subs used - Carlton Cole for Piquionne 63 mins: Freddie Sears for Collison 72 mins: Junior Stanislas for Ilunga 86 mins: Subs not used - Abdulaye Faye, Ruud Boffin Caution - Noble