Both Rovers and Carlisle moved further clear of the chasing pack after chalking up their 20th wins against Gillingham and Luton respectively.

On current form they are the best two teams in the division and both are producing a consistency that others, including leaders Swansea, are finding hard to match.

Rovers had targeted a six-point haul from Saturday's clash with Port Vale and fellow bottom-four strugglers Gillingham. However, with both battling for survival a 100 per cent return was never going to be a foregone conclusion.

As was the case with the Valiants, the Gills made a fight of it after going 2-0 down, and proved enough of a threat late on to have Rovers fans anxiously awaiting the final whistle.

It was certainly a better performance by the Gills than Saturday's 4-0 drubbing at Hartlepool, and fully justified the club's decision to stay up north rather than travel back to Kent.

Manager Mark Stimson was certainly more upbeat than he had been at Victoria Park.

He said: "To only lose 2-1 against a very good Doncaster team is a good performance and I'll sleep better tonight.

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"They are a team who will probably get promoted yet they were trying to run down the clock five minutes from time and that tells you something."

Rovers, for whom right-back Paul Green had shot just wide with a cracking effort from 25 yards in the second minute, took the lead three minutes later.

James Coppinger got on the end of a long ball by Richie Wellens and although he looked to have been closed down by right-back Barry Fuller, he got a shot in and beat keeper Simon Royce at the near post.

It was Coppinger's third goal in six games and after a long barren spell he is now adding extra firepower to the Rovers attack.

Coppinger said: "I think the stats show that I have had most shots on target of anyone at the club this season, which is not very good if you aren't scoring goals.

"But I'm feeling confident now and I feel that I could have got another one tonight. We are making a habit of scoring early goals at the moment which is good, but we still have to remain focused and keep the momentum going.

"We got the all-important second goal and had we scored again I think that we would have killed them off."

Rovers keeper Neil Sullivan was fortunate to avoid a booking when he handled outside the box on eight minutes.

Reflecting his growing confidence in front of goal, Coppinger tried his luck from 35 yards but he didn't make a clean connection and Royce made an easy save.

Rovers were caught out on 13 minutes when the lively Delroy Facey got on the end of a long ball down the right and tested Sullivan at the near post.

Coppinger again tried his luck but his shot from the edge of the area was blocked by a defender.

Rovers midfielder Mark Wilson limped off with a groin injury after 23 minutes.

His replacement, Sean McDaid, hasn't had much first-team football of late, but he wasted little time in making his mark.

It needed a finger-tip save by Royce to keep out his goalbound 20 -yarder on 27 minutes.

Fellow midfielder Brian Stock then hit the near post from outside the area and looked on in disbelief as the ball ran across goal.

Facey showed good pace to get past Matt Mills down the left only to fail to find either of his two team-mates in front of goal.

Wellens brought out the best in Royce with a first-time volley from just outside the box from Stock's corner.

Rovers continued to create chances and but for Stock being at full stretch he might have scored after Coppinger had set him up after cutting in from the right.

Rovers doubled their lead within three minutes of the restart with a well-taken penalty by Paul Heffernan after Gillingham defender Adam Bygrave had handled in the box.

Heffernan could have a second goal two minutes later after getting clear to the left of goal, but Royce managed to get a hand to his low 20- yarder.

Rovers looked set to take a firm grip at that stage, but the game took on a different complexion when Gillingham pulled a goal back on 56 minutes.

Sullivan dropped the ball from a second successive inswinging corner and skipper Andrew Crofts netted from close range – much to the delight of the 141 diehards who had made the long trip from Kent.

The goal served to inject more self-belief into the visitors' ranks for a spell and they pushed forward in search of an equaliser.

Rovers went close to killing the game off on 71 minutes.

McDaid set up Heffernan in the box and he unleashed a fierce angled drive which Royce could only parry. Wellens latched on to the loose ball and he looked certain to score before Bygrave cleared his shot off the line.

The end-to-end nature of the game continued until the whistle with both teams looking to add to their account.

A spirited showing by the Gills, but class told in the end.

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