Exeter top goalscorer Jayden Wareham broke the deadlock in the 42nd minute. Reece Cole picked out Wareham and he burst clear of the Donny defence before rifling the ball across goal and into the net for his 20th goal of the season.

Elliot Lee saw a shot pushed behind by Exeter goalkeeper Jack Bycroft, who made several important saves to preserve Exeter’s slender lead – the best a stunning one-handed claw away to keep out Harry Clifton’s header as Doncaster made a strong start to the second half, while Ed James marked his full league debut with a brilliant goal line clearance to deny Rovers’ Owen Bailey.

Substitute Josh Magennis doubled Exeter’s lead after 69 minutes by smashing the ball in off the far post from a narrow angle and Wareham then added his second goal of the game on 84 minutes, when he was on hand at the back post to finish from close range as Rovers goalkeeper Thimothee Lo-Tutala dropped a corner kick at his feet.

Exeter remain in the bottom four, two points adrift of safety, while Rovers sit four points and four places above the drop zone.