Leeds slipped to yet more discomfort at home with a Derby day defeat to Doncaster.
Unfortunately we have become accustomed to being slow out of the blocks at home and today was no exception. There were rumours of a pre-match protest at the continued debacle concerning the clubs' ownership with the Football League and GFH Capital supposedly the bogeymen, however I didn't really see or hear anything and the mood inside the stadium was one of get behind the team who reportedly had accepted a part deferral in wages in response to the chronic financial state of affairs the club find themselves in following the Football League's decision not to approve Massimo Cellino's takeover of the club hot on the heels of his conviction for tax avoidance on a yacht in a Sardinian court.
So from a Sardinian Don to a South Yorkshire one and Rovers certainly pressed Leeds back from the start, their keeper Sam Johnstone a spectator. On 23 minutes it was no surprise the visitors edged in front when Leeds failed to clear a corner and Welsh international David Cotterill smashed home a thunderbolt from an acute angle inside the box through a cluster of players and Jack Butland's grasping hand.
Cotterill seemed to enjoy his moment in the West Yorkshire sunshine as he cavorted gleefully in front of the family stand, goading parents and children before gleefully sliding on his knees arms aloft, according to his Wikipedia entry his full name of David Rhys George Best Cotterill may explain his exuberance.
The rest of the half followed a similar pattern with Rovers dominating without probing and Leeds scrappy, untidy and impotent on the counter attack, however it got worse in first half stoppage time when Billy Sharp capitalised on a rare Sam Byram slip to squeeze the ball past Butland and prompt a chorus of boos from the crowd.
To Brian McDermott's credit he replaced the awful, ineffective midfield pairing of Austin and Murphy for Tonge and Aidy White, suddenly Leeds poured forward in numbers with purpose and finally troubled Johnstones goal.
Having seen a Smith header go wide and the visitors survive a shout for a penalty, the whites' reduced the deficit on 62 when Smith headed down Pugh's free-kick and McCormack nodded the ball past Johnstone.
The comeback clearly rattled the visitors and many would argue that Johnstone should have seen red when he hauled down McCormack on 73 outside the box but escaped with yellow. Smith headed over and McCormack should have done better when faced with an opportunity he'd normally slot home but skied it.
I think a draw would have been a fair conclusion but yet again a poor start put paid to any chance of getting anything out of the game and with the season on course to drop dead in mid table obscurity the main talking point tonight is the outcome of Massimo Cellino's appeal against the Football League's snub which will be heard on Monday.