by Mark Denham, from Cardiff City Stadium

Snapshot

The Bluebirds snatched victory at Cardiff City Stadium in the dying seconds against a devastated Doncaster Rovers.

The visitors had looked the more likely to take the three points in the second half after being largely ineffective in the first.

Michael Chopra had given City the lead after just nine minutes and could have had two more before half time as the Bluebirds dominated.

But Doncaster were the better side after the interval, equalising midway through the half through Gareth Roberts before pushing hard for a winner. Fortunately for the Bluebirds, a Donny winner never came - instead it came for the home side when Jay Bothroyd struck home deep into injury time.

Chronological Report

Doncaster had the first strike on goal from a good position to the left of the City penalty area. Adam Matthews was adjudged to have brought down Sam Hird and James Coppinger stepped up to strike, only to hit Ross McCormack in the City wall who cleared the danger.

Peter Whittingham had City's first effort on goal on six minutes. A loose Doncaster pass was picked out by McCormack who nodded to Whittingham thirty yards from goal. The midfielder juggled the ball once or twice before striking towards the retreating Neil Sullivan - fortunately for the former Wimbledon stopper the shot cleared the crossbar.

City were ahead on nine minutes thanks to a superbly taken goal by Michael Chopra. Whittingham picked out the striker superbly as he attacked the right channel, evading his defender to shoot low and accurately past Sullivan into the far corner of the goal.

GOAL: CARDIFF CITY 1-0 DONCASTER ROVERS (Chopra, 9)

The Bluebirds continued to play some superb passing football - neat interplay between Whittingham and Burke almost led to captain Jay Bothroyd doubling their lead. Burke beat the offside trap to take the return pass from Whittingham before firing low across goal. Bothroyd swivelled and struck, though his shot was just over from a good position.

City continued to press, peppering the goalmouth with dangerous balls that Doncaster struggled to clear. Both Chopra and Bothroyd were denied at the final moments by retreating defenders as the home side powered on towards the twenty minute mark.

Bothroyd put Chopra clear through on goal on twenty-two minutes, the striker having plenty of time after beating the offside trap. But Sullivan did superbly well to get down low and deny the striker his second, keeping a desperate looking Rovers in the game at the same time.

Doncaster began to get themselves in to the game on twenty-five minutes and saw a Billy Sharp header cleared off the line by Anthony Gerrard following a succession of corners. But City looked organised in defence and held the visitors as they looked to press further.

Chopra could conceivably have had a first half hat-trick. Some poor Doncaster defending allowed McCormack space and time on the ball to play Chopra through, only for the striker to blaze his shot high and wide of Sullivan's goal from mere yards out.

Six minutes before the interval, Burke teased and toyed with Welsh full back Gareth Roberts before delivering a perfect ball to McCormack on the far post. The Scot rose well and made a good connection, but unfortunately his accuracy was out and the ball went wide of the goal. Almost immediately from a long Adam Matthews throw, Bothroyd flicked on again towards McCormack, this time former Bluebird James Chambers headed over to relieve the danger.

Doncaster managed to stem the flow as the half drew to a close, but City looked more than comfortable in a very one-sided affair.

HALF TIME: CARDIFF CITY 1-0 DONCASTER ROVERS

Doncaster started the second half brightly and Coppinger came within inches of levelling only for David Marshall to pull off a superb athletic save. The visitors threatened early on but as the game settled, most of the action centred around the middle of the park.

The game drifted on towards the hour mark with little incidence. But the visitors continued to look the more likely of the two teams to score, Billy Sharp and John Oster seeing plenty of the ball in the Cardiff final third.

Doncaster eventually got the goal that their second half performance deserved in the sixty-fifth minute. City were defending poorly, failing to clear the lines and allowing the visitors too much time around goal. The ball eventually found its way out to the far left of the area to Roberts, the Welshman striking low and hard across Marshall to draw the visitors level.

GOAL: CARDIFF CITY 1-1 DONCASTER ROVERS (Roberts, 65)

Substitution Cardiff City: Darcy Blake on for Gavin Rae (65 mins).

Rovers had another shot cleared off the line by Gyepes soon after the kick-off, the visitors rallying following their equaliser. Either side's second half performances couldn't have been more different from the first as this one began to bubble.

Substitution Cardiff City: Solomon Taiwo on for Chris Burke (76 mins).

Substitution Cardiff City: Kevin McNaughton on for Mark Kennedy (76 mins).

The Bluebirds tried to push forward and stem the Doncaster flow in the last ten minutes, Taiwo's header from a corner being the most notable effort on goal. A tense atmosphere at Cardiff City Stadium could be felt with either side looking capable of snatching the game.

Substitution Doncaster Rovers: James Hayter on for James Coppinger (84 mins).

Substitution Doncaster Rovers: Jordan Mutch on for John Oster (87 mins).

Darcy Blake showed great determination at either end in the closing minutes, first scuppering a promising Doncaster attack on the edge of his own area before setting up McCormack for a shot he should have done better with at the other end. But it looked to be the last real chance of the game as it drifted in to stoppage time.

Substitution Doncaster Rovers: Byron Webster on for Dean Shiels (90 mins).

Then Cardiff City Stadium erupted. For the second game in succession, City secured the win in injury time. Substitute Webster slipped to allow Chopra to force a corner, taken by Whittingham. Whittingham swung the ball towards Bothroyd in the centre of the area and after bouncing a yard in front of him, Sullivan could only push Jay's effort in to his own net.

Doncaster arguably deserved at least a point on Saturday, especially for the way they performed in the second half. But City showed great determination and spirit through adversity to turn a solitary point into three.

GOAL: CARDIFF CITY 2-1 DONCASTER ROVERS (Bothroyd, 90+2)

FULL TIME: CARDIFF CITY 2-1 DONCASTER ROVERS