CREWE'S impressive home form rolled on as Mikael Mandron's first goal since Boxing Day landed punchless Donny on the canvass.

While Mandron was ending a barren spell with the decisive strike in the 56th-minute, there were few dramas to negotiate at the other end of the pitch as a solid-looking back four snuffed out what little the visitors could offer in the final third.

With main strikers Omar Bogle and Fejiri Okenabirhie confined to the treatment room, Rovers' best openings fell to fullback Reece James before the break, but the defender was snuffed out by Dave Richards and Rio Adebisi before he could pull the trigger.

Which is what Mandron did with aplomb in the second half when he capitalised on Charlie Kirk's quick counter attack and made space for a belting shot which beat keeper Louis Jones all ends up for his 10th goal of the campaign.

The win extended Crewe's unbeaten run at Gresty Road to 11 games, seven of which have been won, a run that pleases Dave Artell, who stressed how important his players bounced back from the tame weekend reverse at Lincoln City.

"Good teams don't have two bad games and we needed to bounce back, which we did and it was a thoroughly professional performance," said the Crewe boss.

"This is a hard place to come to this season and we've got to make sure it remains that way. I can't remember any moments when I'd say we got away with it. Doncaster didn't open us up, but we got in some great positions and they had to do a lot of last-ditch defending."

Artell reverted back to 4-3-3 with the fit-again Mandron returning in the central role to make a decisive mark.

After the lack of creativity in defeat at Lincoln, there was a spring in Crewe's step with Kirk prominent down the left and Owen Dale, restored to the frontline, adding a threat from the left. Dale cut in and drove just wide in a first half, while Luke Murphy, at full stretch, almost diverted home Kirk's driven cross.

After edging ahead there was little to perspire about with Cameron John's angled drive which veered past the far corner as close as the Yorkshire side, who were losing their first game under new boss Andy Butler, got to taking a point they wouldn't have deserved.

Butler, unsurprisingly, thought they did merit a share of the honours and pointed out: "Crewe looked to counter on our mistakes and I thought their goal was marginally offside.

"Omar and Fejiri give us a presence, but the players gave everything tonight and their attitude was spot on, it was just their final pass in the final third that was missing.

"We're still in a decent position and there is no need to be too downhearted about the result."

Crewe: Richards; Adebisi, Beckles, Wood, Pickering; Lowery, Murphy, Wintle; Dale, Mandron (Porter), Kirk (Powell). Subs: Jaaskelainen, Johnson, Lancashire, Evans, Walker.

Doncaster Jones, Halliday, Wright, Anderson, James (John); Lokilo, Smith, Bostock (Robertson), Coppinger, Richards; Gomes (Sims). Subs: Balcombe, Williams, Greaves, Horton