Billy Sharp spared Doncaster’s blushes as they saw off non-league Kettering 2-1 after extra time.
A total of 68 places and three divisions separated the two teams but Kettering, spurred on by a boisterous home crowd, made a mockery of that gap in the early exchanges.
The hosts, the competition’s all-time leading scorers, bumped their tally up to 923 when Isiah Noel-Williams, son of ex-Watford striker Gifton, picked Patrick Kelly’s pocket and curled a shot into the bottom-right corner beyond the reach of Teddy Sharman-Lowe on the half-hour mark.
Before then, Rovers had been on top with Luke Molyneux going close twice whilst Tom Anderson saw a header come back off the crossbar. They also had a penalty appeal waved away when Jordan Gibson was clattered by home goalkeeper Jason Alexander, who appeared to get a slight touch on the ball first.
Rovers boss Grant McCann made three changes at half-time but it took them 30 more minutes before they eventually made their pressure count. Veteran Sharp was in the right place at the right time to bundle the ball in after a knockdown from a corner.
Neither side could prevent an additional 30 minutes before Sharp notched his second, also inside the box, right at the end of the first half of extra time to avoid spot-kicks and any more drama for Rovers.
