SHAUN Cooper's first-half dismissal proved a key turning point as Cherries were sent spinning to defeat by high-flying Doncaster Rovers last night.

Cooper saw red after collecting his second booking following an altercation with Rovers midfielder Richie Wellens five minutes before half-time.

And with Cherries already trailing to Jason Price's first-minute goal, Cooper's demise left Kevin Bond's strugglers facing an onerous task against second-placed Doncaster.

The 24-year-old, cautioned earlier for a challenge on Paul Green, was sent off after tangling with Wellens near the halfway line in front of the East Stand.

Rovers duo Price and Mark McCammon were also yellow carded following the incident, while referee Andy D'Urso baffled the home crowd by restarting play with a free kick to Cherries.

Price went on to add a second goal for Rovers after the break as ex-Cherries boss Sean O'Driscoll finally chalked up his first win against his former employers at the third time of asking.

Despite naming an unchanged starting line-up, Cherries boss Bond was forced into a late reshuffle after Danny Hollands had pulled up during the warm-up.

As a result, Jason Pearce stepped up from the bench to take over at right-back, with Cooper moving forward to replace Hollands in the centre of midfield.

Rovers capitalised almost immediately and made a flying start when they rocked Cherries by taking the lead inside the opening 60 seconds.

A towering leap saw Price meet a Gareth Roberts cross from the left, the striker squeezing his header between the crossbar and the palm of Gareth Stewart's outstretched hand.

Cherries took time to recover from the early blow and were penned back during the early stages as Rovers enjoyed the better of the possession.

And the visitors' well-organised defensive line restricted Cherries to precious few openings, with Jo Kuffour poking a half-chance wide in the eighth minute.

Cherries old boy Brian Stock squandered a gilt-edged opportunity to double Rovers' lead following a slick move from the visitors after 18 minutes.

The midfielder's finish failed to match the build up, with Stock contriving to screw his close range shot past the post after Price had neatly cushioned Paul Green's incisive pass into his path.

Cooper collected the first booking of the match for a crude challenge on Green before Stewart snatched the ball from under the nose of Price after the striker had miscontrolled inside the six-yard box.

Referee D'Urso turned down a strong penalty appeal after Marvin Bartley had gone to ground under a Matt Mills challenge in the 36th minute.

And D'Urso then stunned the home crowd when he controversially gave Cooper his marching orders after tempers had flared five minutes before the break.

D'Urso was flanked by a posse of stewards as he left the pitch at half-time, while Cherry Bear's sarcastic applause told its own story.

As Rovers looked for a repeat of their lightning start to the first half, Stewart smothered Price's volley inside the opening minute of the second period.

Bartley's hard running forced Gareth Roberts into a mistake, but as the Cherries midfielder prepared to pounce, Rovers goalkeeper Neil Sullivan raced off his line to clear the danger.

However, Roberts, stationed at the far post, quickly atoned when he nodded a Sam Vokes header off the line after the striker had met a cross from Warren Cummings.

Stock again failed to trouble Stewart with an ambitious 25-yarder before the Cherries defence was stretched by another sweeping move after 63 minutes.

But after McCammon had met James O'Connor's hanging cross with a glancing header, his effort bounced just past the upright.

Stewart then dived bravely to save at the feet of McCammon before Kuffour headed a Cummings free kick straight into the arms of Sullivan.

Cherries were left with a mountain to climb when Price swept home his and Rovers' second goal with 20 minutes remaining.

The former Hull, Brentford and Cardiff man clipped the ball past the advancing Stewart after being picked out by a slide-rule pass from Wellens.

As Cherries looked for a way back, Sullivan pulled off a smart save to deny Kuffour, while Vokes fired narrowly wide after bursting through in the 75th minute.

Cherries (4-4-2): Stewart 6; Pearce 6, Perrett 6.5, Gowling 6, Cummings 6.5; Bradbury 6 (Tessem, 80), Bartley 8*, Cooper 6, Gradel 6; Kuffour 7 (Pitman, 84), Vokes 7.

Unused subs: McQuoid, Partington, Pryce (g/k).

Booked: Cooper, Cummings, Gowling.

Sent off: Cooper (second booking).

Doncaster Rovers (4-3-3): Sullivan; O'Connor, S Roberts, Mills, G Roberts; Green, Stock (Wilson, 79), Wellens; Coppinger, McCammon (Guy, 73), Price (Heffernan, 84).

Unused subs: Lockwood, McDaid.

Booked: Price, McCammon.

Referee: Andy D'Urso (Billericay).

Attendance: 4,947.