TEN-man Bury looked like hanging on for their second hard-earned point of the week before a last-gasp winner broke their hearts at the Keepmoat Stadium.
Chris Brown stroked home Doncaster’s second six minutes from time after Rovers’ Kyle Bennett had cancelled out Joe Skarz’s early opener.
Caretaker boss Peter Shirtliff was left to count the cost of a gutsy performance after captain Steven Schumacher picked up a red card and winger David Worrall limped off with a suspected broken ankle.
Bury rode their luck after taking the lead early in an open first half.
Left back Skarz peeled away from his marker at the near post to head Schumacher’s corner through a crowd of bodies and into the bottom corner.
Despite taking the lead in the fourth minute, the Shakers never looked comfortable.
Doncaster strike partnership Brown and Billy Paynter provided a constant threat, backed by marauding winger Bennett.
Their cause was made that little bit harder after Worrall hobbled off with a suspected fractured ankle in the 15th minute, colliding with Schumacher as both Bury players went for the same ball.
Bury were given a warning by Bennett in the 28th minute, Shakers keeper Trevor Carson turning his low shot round his near post after a breakaway that started with a misplaced Peter Sweeney corner.
And the diminutive midfielder duly delivered 10 minutes later, dancing through the Shakers defence before latching on to a one-two with Brown and slotting past Carson.
After a relatively quiet start to the second half, the home side slowly stamped their authority on the game.
Paynter was the first to try his luck in the 55th minute, sending Carson sprawling as his powerful 30-yard drive whistled narrowly wide.
Brown then looped a header over from six yards three minutes later.
It was backs to the wall stuff for Bury after Steven Schumacher was sent off for his second yellow card with 23 minutes still to play.
The Shakers captain gave referee Christopher Sarginson little choice after instinctively grappling Brown to the floor as the Rovers striker sprinted past him in midfield.
Caretaker boss Peter Shirtliff did his best to batten down the hatches, bringing winger Marcus Marshall on for striker Mark Cullen.
But the waves of Doncaster attacks kept on coming and Carson could do nothing when Brown finally broke free to beat the Bury offside trap and slot home the winner with six minutes to play.
Doncaster: Gary Woods, Quinn, Jones (c), Spurr, McCombe, Syers, Martin Woods (Harper), Cotterill, Paynter, Brown (Coppinger), Bennett.
Not used: Sullivan, Blake, Husban.
Bury: Carson 7, Skarz 7, Lockwood 7, Hughes 7, Andrai Jones 6, Worrall (Craig Jones 6), Schumacher (c) 5, Carrington 6, Sweeney 6, Cullen 6 (Marshall 6), Bishop 5 (John-Lewis 6).
Not used: Picken, Elford-Alliyu, Harrop, Dibble.
Ref: Christopher Sarginson Att: 6,380 (492 visiting)
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