Port Vale needed to show some bounce-back ability to stop their slide down the table and, with Doncaster's away form not at its best, it would prove to be an interesting fixture.
The pace of the game was set straightaway with both sides going for all-out attack. The first chance fell to Craig James but the left back's angled header flew wide in the 11th minute.
It didn't take much longer for Port Vale to take the lead and five minutes later, James' ball from the left was flicked on by Mark Albrighton and fortunately fell for Billy Paynter, who made no mistake in powering his header in to Andy Warrington's bottom right corner.
Doncaster felt hard done by when they had a goal ruled out for offside in the 19th minute but the Valiants showed no mercy and doubled their tally nine minutes later.
On-loan Marc Goodfellow supplied a swirling corner from the right for Sam Collins to attack but it was Lee Matthews who finally finished when he hammered the captain's header into the roof of the net.
Vale were dealt another injury blow six minutes after the break when Matthews fell awkwardly on his ankle, needing a stretcher to exit the pitch.
Rovers then threw everything but the kitchen sink at the home side but despite chances from Michael McIndoe and Dave Mulligan being denied by Jonathan Brain, Vale hung on for all three points.