Rochdale suffered a New Year’s Day defeat at Doncaster Rovers’ Keepmoat Stadium.

Alfie May headed the hosts in front inside the opening minute, before Ali Crawford’s stunning free-kick and John Marquis’ header saw them 3-0 up at the interval.

Marquis scored his second in the second-half, before substitute James Coppinger rounded off the scoring with a diving header.

Keith Hill made four changes from Saturday’s game against Bradford City, with Magnus Norman, Kgosi Ntlhe, Harrison McGahey and Aaron Morley coming in.

Dale got off to the worst possible start, conceding inside a minute, when May sent a looping header over Norman from a right-wing cross.

The Dale stopper produced a fine save two minutes later to deny Marquis’ goalbound header, diving low to his right to turn the ball around the post.

He comfortably held efforts from May and Ben Whiteman, before getting a strong hand to a powerful effort from Mallik Wilks.

Danny Andrew fired wide from distance, before Ollie Rathbone’s curling effort was headed behind by a Doncaster defender.

Norman held on to a low shot from Wilks, but there was nothing he could do to stop Crawford’s stunning free-kick sail into the far top corner as the hosts doubled their advantage.

Andy Butler headed wide from a corner, but Marquis made no mistake with his header in the 34^th minute, nodding home Whiteman’s cross from a central position.

Rathbone sent a low shot narrowly wide from just outside the area in reply, before Crawford saw two free-kicks fly narrowly past the far post.

Bradden Inman and Calvin Andrew replaced Dan Adshead and Morley at the break, and Dale started the second-half brightly, with Ian Henderson firing wide and Rathbone seeing a bouncing effort well held.

Henderson saw a header held from MJ Williams’ chipped cross, before Matty Done had a low effort deflected narrowly wide of the far post.

Crawford chipped an effort narrowly over, before Marquis added Doncaster’s fourth, firing an effort goalwards which was spilled by Norman into his own net.

Substitute Coppinger scored the home side’s fifth when he sent a powerful diving header into the bottom corner from a right-wing cross.

Henderson clipped an effort narrowly wide before Rathbone fired off target, whilst substitute Matty Gillam forced the Doncaster stopper into a strong fist away with the final action of the game.