Cheltenham Town exited the FA Cup at the third round stage this evening, but not without a fight at Doncaster Rovers' Keepmoat Stadium.

This was always going to be a stern test for Martin Allen's depleted side with only 12 first teamers available for this encounter, but far from rolling over, the Robins created a hat-full of chances to win this one despite conceding three on the night.

Martin O'Neill's side will now travel to the Keepmoat Stadium on Saturday, and in fairness if this game was extended to the weekend Cheltenham wouldn't find the back of the net - it was just one of those days.

A lack of composure in front of goal, the woodwork, a couple of turned down penalty shouts and a goal line clearance all denied Cheltenham a goal here, but they must now prepare to face Brighton and Hove Albion in Saturday's vital League One encounter at Whaddon Road and draw on the positives from this.

Conversely, the quality of Doncaster's finishing will offer manager Sean O'Driscoll plenty of encouragement as his side attempts to pull clear of the Championship basement battle in the forthcoming weeks,

TEAM NEWS: Cheltenham Town manager Martin Allen made five changes to the team which came away from Colchester United's Weston Homes Community Stadium empty-handied at the weekend

The three loan players who played in Saturday's match - Chris Westwood, Nicholas Bignall and Lewis Montrose - were all ineligible. Ian Westlake and Paul Connor were ruled out with hamstring strains and captain John Finnigan served a one match ban for his sending off at Colchester..

In came fit-again Shane Duff, David Bird, Andy Lindegaard, Lloyd Owusu and Elvis Hammond while the bench contained three scholarship players - Lewis Fathers, Jack Durrant and Dean Maynard - looking to make their first team debuts. Goalkeeper Will Puddy is also yet to feature for the senior side.

Marley Watkins featured as a second half substitute in the 4-2 reverse at Northampton Town on the opening day of the season.

5th minute: Doncaster started the game in positive fashion and skipper Brian Stock released the first shot of the game after some slick interplay in midfield, however the midfielder dragged his effort a couple of feet wide of the left upright.

7: James O'Connor forced a smart save from Scott Brown from 25 yards and earned a corner, however Rovers wasted the opportunity from the flag kick.

13: Cheltenham began the game largely on the back foot, but Lee Ridley registered his side's first effort on goal 13 minutes in. Russell floated a free-kick into the Doncaster penalty area and onto the head of left back, but Rovers goalkeeper Neil Sullivan comfortably gathered his glanced effort from 10 yards.

20: John Spicer found the target with a strike from 22 yards in the 20th minute, but it was straight at Brown and the Cheltenham number one held on to it.

24: Bird sent a long throw into the Doncaster box, and when it was only half-cleared, Lindegaard returned it back into the danger area but Ridley's header was taken by Sullivan.

25 GOAL: Doncaster made the breakthrough mid-way through the first half after Duff had been penalised for a challenge on Wellens on the edge of the penalty area. Richie Wellens curled it over the wall and towards the top right-hand corner, but Brown met it at full stretch and pushed it onto the angle of the frame. Unfortunately from his perspective, the ball bounced down onto the goal line where Stock was on hand to smash it into the unguarded goal.

27 BOOKING: Vincent is the first player to go into the referee's book for a trip Woods while chasing back to defend.

32: Coppinger thumped one over from a promising position down the inside right channel.

34: Cheltenham were handed a glorious opportunity to get back on terms with 34 minutes played when Gallinagh lifted a free-kick from half way towards the edge of the 18-yard box. Owusu flicked it on, but Vincent fluffed his shot from a great position six yards out, missing the target by a foot.

36 GOAL: Doncaster doubled their advantage nine minutes from the break from another set piece, and this time it arrived from a corner from the left. It reached Spicer at the far post, who drilled one back in goal but it was blocked before Sam Hird bundled the loose ball over the line.

40: Alex Russell delivered a corner from the left which is headed back into the danger area by Bird. Owusu meets it with a towering header, but it flies over.

41: Vincent draged a shot wide from a great position down the right of the box, the third good opportunity his side have had despite Doncaster's dominance in possession.

HALF TIME: 2-0

46 SUBSTITUTION: Jonny Hayes, sporting a pair of flourescent green pair of boots, replaced Alan Wright for the second period which seemed to lend greater pace to the midfield, adding impotus to the Cheltenham attack.

49: A shot from Bird drops angonisingly wide of the left post, having picked up a deflection on its way through after a good cross from Ridley on the left. The Cinderford-born midfielder got another one away from the resulting corner but it travelled over the bar.

51: Duff is called upon to deal with Bird's miscued defensive header, conceding a corner from which Hird heads over from Wood's delivery.

56: Hammond wasted another opportunity inside the Doncaster box, blasting well over Sullivan's goal 11 minutes after the re-start. However he called the veteran goalkeeper into a diving stop a moment later with a low drive from 18 yards.

58 GOAL: Stock claimed his second of the night despite an encouraging opening to the second period by Cheltenham, and it all but finished the game as a contest after 58 minutes. It all came about after Lindegaard had conceded a corner, which Wellens delivered from the left. Cheltenham managed to clear the initial danger, but the ball arrived at the skipper's feet 25 yards from goal and he produced a searing strike which gave Brown no chance from 25 yards.

61 SUBSTITUTION: James Chambers made way for Gareth Roberts around the hour mark

63: Lewis Guy shashed a volley narrowly over from a tight angle on the left.

65: Cheltenham's wastefulness continued in the 65th minute when Russell picked out Hayes unmarked at the back post with an expertly taken free-kick, however the replacement inexplicably headed it the wrong side of the right post.

67 SUSBTITUTION: Paul Heffernan came on in place of Coppinger in the 67th minute.

69 SUBSTITUTION: Marley Watkins was handed his first outing under Martin Allen - the second of his career - when he was sent on in place of Vincent with a little over 20 minutes remaining. He took up a position on the right-hand side of midfield.

73: Hammond struck the left upright with a low effort from 18 yards following another wave of pressure by Cheltenham.

77: Hayes burst down the left channel and found the target with a low effort from 20 yards, but Sullivan fell on his low shot.

77 SUSBTITUTION: Doncaster made their final move of the game; Matthew Lockwood coming on for Mills.

78 SUBSTITUTION: Second year scholar Jack Durrant was given his first team debut at the expense of David Bird in central midfield.

79: Hammond met Russell's free-kick, whipped in from the left corner, with a decent enough header but Sullivan was alive to the danger and took the ball at head height.

82: Cheltenham's profligacy continued in front of goal eight minutes from time when a last-ditch goal line clearance denied Hammond a late goal.

88: The bar denied Stock a hatrick on the night after the skipper drove one from all of 25 yards.

FULL TIME: 3-0

DONCASTER ROVERS (4-3-3): Sullivan; O'Connor, Hird, Mills (Lockwood 77), Chambers (Roberts 61); Woods, Stock (c), Wellens; Coppinger (Heffernan 67), Spicer, Guy. Subs not used: Taylor, Smith, Van Nieuwstadt, Wilson.

CHELTENHAM TOWN (4-3-3): Brown; Lindegaard, Gallinagh, Duff, Wright (c) (Hayes 46); Bird (Durrant 78), Russell, Ridley; Hammond, Owusu, Vincent (Watkins 69). Subs not used: Puddy (Gk), Fathers, Maynard.

REFEREE: S Attwell (Warwickshire)

ATTENDANCE: 5,345