A 54th minute strike from James Coppinger handed Doncaster Rovers a passport to the second round of the Carling Cup but fortune certainly favoured them against a buoyant Notts County side.

The hosts, fresh from a 5-0 win over Bradford on Saturday, hit the woodwork no less than three times in the opening half.

And when Coppinger collected a neat pass from Lewis Guy to beat Russell Hoult low to his right it was Rovers' first shot on target.

Luke Rodgers was the first to hit the bar with a 12th minute effort from which he should have scored and Jamie Clapham then hit a post and the bar in the space of four minutes.

A free kick from the edge of the area rebounded from the underside of the bar and the former Ipswich star then saw his clever angled shot strike the inside of a post.

Rovers, who lost at Meadow Lane in the opening round of this competition last season, stepped up the pace after the break.

And although County substitute Lee Hughes twice went close to equalising, Hoult also had to make smart saves to deny Guy twice and also Coppinger.

Teams

Notts County Hoult, Moloney, Edwards, Thompson, Hunt,Hamshaw (Westcarr 64), Ravenhill, Bishop, Clapham, Hawley,Rodgers (Hughes 54).

Subs Not Used: Pilkington, Lee, Canham, Fairclough, Facey.

Booked: Edwards.

Doncaster Smith, O'Connor, Webster, Lockwood, Roberts,Guy (Hayter 80), Wilson, Martin Woods, Oster (Chambers 88),Shiels (Spicer 71), Coppinger.

Subs Not Used: Sullivan, Heffernan, Fairhurst, Clarke.

Goals: Coppinger 54.

Att: 4,893

Ref: Karl Evans (Greater Manchester).