- Owls and Rovers draw 2-2
- Nuhiu and Antonio on target
- Wednesday face Newcastle next at Hillsborough
Doncaster and Wednesday played out an entertaining 2-2 draw at The Keepmoat Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Owls went into a two-goal lead with strikes either side of half time from Atdhe Nuhiu and Michail Antonio but Rovers hit back through Marc De Val and Kyle Bennett to take a share of the spoils.
For the fourth time in as many games, the sun was shining on the Owls’ pre-season, this time across the way in South Yorkshire.
The temperature pitchside was in the mid-80s but that failed to detract from a lively start in which possession was shared and chances few.
Jacques Maghoma was first to test the water with a snapshot on the angle of the penalty area that stung the palms of Ben Williams.
Rovers responded with Harry Forrester firing wide moments later before Caolan Lavery saw a low drive deflected wide at the other end.
One of the best opportunities of the first half fell to Antonio on the half-hour mark.
Keiran Lee picked up a loose ball on the left flank and sent a teasing cross into the danger zone that Antonio headed wide.
But three minutes before the break, the Owls did make the breakthrough, which was expertly fashioned by Maghoma.
The wideman rode a string of challenges to get to the byline and whip in a perfect cross that Nuhiu headed home from close range.
Then immediately after the break, Wednesday doubled their lead – with Maghoma again the architect.
The former Burton man beat his marker down the left and looked up to find Antonio in space and the latter made no mistake from 12 yards.
But just as things seemed to be getting comfortable for the Owls, Rovers halved the deficit on 50 minutes.
Bennett sped down the right before sending an accurate ball into the area that substitute De Val flicked home.
With the home side bolstered, they promptly drew level from their next purposeful attack.
Rovers won a free kick 20 yards from goal and up stepped Bennett to curl a delicious effort into the top corner.
Both sides pressed for a winner and Wednesday came close with 15 minutes to go when Slovenian trialist Dejan Kelhar saw a low effort saved at the last by Williams.
Rhys McCabe fizzed wide on 82 minutes and that was the last real action of what proved an entertaining friendly affair between the two local rivals.
Doncaster: Williams, Brown, Wakefield, McCullough, Evina, Forrester, Bennett, Tyson, Keegan (De Val 46), Furman, Robinson
Owls: Kirkland, Palmer, Helan (Mattock 72), Zayatte (Loovens 61), Coke (Hutchinson 61), Kelhar, Lee (McCabe 72), Antonio, Lavery (Madine 48), Maghoma, Nuhiu (Maguire 61)