In the days before Chelsea's bottomless pockets, Arsene Wenger complained that London sides had it tougher than most because there were so many derbies.

The same thing could be said about League One, where a quarter of the 24 clubs come from Yorkshire.

With that many close encounters of the full-blooded kind, teams from these parts will have to battle every step of the way.

Nowhere is the football more earthy than the Earth Stadium, the grand title of Doncaster's Belle Vue. Now in its final year before a move to a new ground, Rovers' rickety home has never been a place for the faint-hearted.

City showed last season that Yorkshire

derbies held no fears. They were the undisputed top Tykes, losing only once in ten games against other county neighbours.

Doncaster, though, have no respect for reputations, as Manchester City recently discovered in the Carling Cup.

Results against Rovers have to be earned the hard way. Which is why it is criminal to toss away a two-goal advantage.

When Steve Claridge nabbed his third goal in eight days two minutes after half-time, that should have put the seal on another three points.

His first strikes for City clinched victory at Swindon; this latest effort, from a knockdown by Dean Windass, should have done the same at Doncaster.

But it was not to be and, just like Tranmere, City trailed home cursing a draw that they would have happily taken before kick-off.

Colin Todd blamed the "Achilles heel" in the club. In other words, they are leaking too many goals. It is six games since an opponent failed to score against City.

Doncaster's first goal was a wonder strike, the second most certainly wasn't. A corner flicked on by one post and scrambled in at

the other was a scruffy way to see victory wrenched away.

Todd had made the one change he hinted at from midweek, with Tom Kearney taking over in central midfield from Steve Schumacher.

"I told Schumacher that in the four games he'd played he hadn't been at it and I can't have people not doing their jobs properly," said the manager.

"The important thing about Steve now is that he has to get his head down and train a lot harder."

You know what to expect from Kearney, a hard-working player. What nobody would have anticipated was a goal.

After all, the closest Kearney had ever come to making the scoresheet was a shot against the bar on his debut at Watford three-and-a-half years ago.

But the big moment arrived a minute before half-time. Ben Muirhead floated a cross towards the six-yard box, where Windass jumped with goalkeeper Jan Budtz. The Dane flapped under pressure and the loose ball dropped for Kearney, who stuck out a boot and sent it sailing back into the unguarded net.

It was a huge unexpected bonus at the end of a hard-fought half where little had separated the sides. Doncaster had enjoyed the bulk of possession but had fashioned few clear-cut openings, with David Wetherall a typically powerful presence in the back four.

Wetherall has these sort of matches for breakfast. He led by example at Rotherham earlier this season and again refused to yield as the red and white hoops swarmed forward.

A series of last-ditch blocks by the skipper and other defenders restricted Doncaster to only one real effort on goal after Richard Edghill made a mess of a cross from Phil McGuire. The ball dropped for Mike McIndoe but his fierce effort flew straight at Russell Howarth.

Neil Roberts, briefly a team-mate of Wetherall's last season, was the pick of the home side with his hold-up play - and one flick would have sent in Ricky Ravenhill but for an alert tackle from Lee Crooks.

But City arguably had the better earlier opportunities. Windass searched out the top corner with a lob on the turn and Claridge nodded down across goal from a free-kick oblivious to the fact he had been left completely on his own.

Muirhead and Bobby Petta had started as they finished against Yeovil by switching wings - a ploy Todd felt gave City more impact going forward. Despite both players wanting to come inside on to their natural kicking feet, they certainly provided a decent supply line to the front two.

The half-time entertainment consisted of a giant dog grappling with an American wrestler who goes under the guise of the 'Innovator of Violence'. Only in Doncaster ...

Mr Innovator went lightly on the Rovers mascot. He was not so genial towards the

referee, threatening to "kick his butt".

His feelings seemed to strike a chord with the locals, who felt their side were getting the rough end of decisions from Premiership official Mark Clattenburg.

They couldn't complain about Ravenhill's yellow card for hoicking down Muirhead but of course they did - and there were more howls of derision to follow.

Claridge's quick-fire strike straight after the interval should have killed the contest. Petta could have made it more emphatic with a golden chance but, having cleverly brought down Muirhead's cross, the Dutchman opted for placement rather than power and Budtz used every inch of his huge frame to pluck the ball down.

That save become more crucial within a minute as Rovers regained a foothold in the match.

The danger seemed to have passed when Mark Bower blocked for a corner - but as the ball was cleared as far as the edge of the penalty area, Ravenhill met it with the

sweetest of strikes to volley past the helpless Howarth.

That brought the place alive and passions immediately boiled over as Ravenhill went from hero to zero with a red card. Astonishingly, he became the sixth player

to be sent off in the last four Doncaster matches - and seventh in a game involving City this season.

Windass attempted a shot but was spun round by Ravenhill's challenge. Both players fell in a heap but the Doncaster man got up blazing and leaned angrily into his opponent.

Windass, for his own part, was completely innocent. Acutely aware that another

booking would rule him out of Huddersfield, he wanted nothing to do with it and stood there with arms outstretched.

Predictably, though, the official could not caution one player without the other. While the home fans cursed Ravenhill's red card, the target of their fury was left shaking his head and ironically clapping Wayne Rooney-style.

Windass could have lost his head but he channelled his energies in the right way and tried to chase down everything.

Another important flick was swept out as far as Petta, whose snap-shot was blocked by Budtz in unorthodox manner using his feet.

But City have struggled against ten men before this season. Their only away defeat came against a Blackpool side who had played nearly an hour with one less.

They failed to learn the lesson and were pegged back again after 71 minutes from another corner.

It came after Bower had missed a cross, forcing Howarth to save from Roberts. The Doncaster captain then won the header from the set-piece and nobody noticed centre half Nick Fenton roaring in at the far post to slide home the equaliser.

At that stage it was 50-50 who would score next. But City could and should have done when Crooks flicked on a late corner. It fell invitingly to Bower but he skied his header from close-range and a great chance had gone begging.

Budtz saved Petta's volley deep in stoppage time and City were left to reflect on two more points disappearing down the drain.