After a tight and goalless opening period, the game was unlocked by a penalty which saw Rovers keeper Neil Sullivan booked.
At times the home side threatened to overwhelm Doncaster without ever breaking their spirit or denting their determination to keep their shape and style.
The number seven shirt had an increasingly important role. City's number seven, Ivan Sproule, was the main spring of the attack from midfield, while Doncaster's number seven, Lewis Guy, as a more orthodox winger, quickly got the better of his marker Bradley Orr.
Booked early on Orr was often on the wrong side of the referee and was close to talking himself into a second card.
He got rattled and it was almost expensive when Guy went past him on a tricky run into the box to deliver a shot a foot wide.
Orr was taken off at half-time, Cole Skuse moving to right-back in a bid to tame Guy, while Marvin Elliott came on into the midfield for the first time this season.
It meant City were without their penalty taker Orr, so Sod's Law kicked in and two minutes into the second half they were given a spot-kick when Sullivan bowled over Nicky Maynard.
Michael McIndoe slammed the kick left-footed past Sullivan and inside the next quarter-of-an-hour City had it comfortably won.
Maynard scored the next with a confident right-foot shot for only his second goal since his £2.25million move from Crewe.
Sproule hit the third as Doncaster were prepared to leave themselves exposed at the back to press on with their passing football.
Their sense of adventure saw Richie Wellens hit a fine goal from just inside the area but McIndoe came back with his second goal to put the points safely in City's bag.