Sheffield Wednesday manager Dave Jones praised the contribution of Jermaine Johnson after he scored twice in the 3-2 win over fellow-strugglers Blackburn.
Johnson equalised Jordan Rhodes' opening goal and went on to score the winner at Hillsborough, after a Leroy Lita penalty for the home side was cancelled out by Scott Dann.
"He is a danger in that position. We say here that JJ will get you out your seat and sometimes he can dump you back in it as well that's the type of player he is. He was different class today," Jones said of Johnson.
"It's his day and that's what you want. He sets the tone, the standard; he has to do it again."
The victory takes the Owls up to 18th in the Championship on 50 points, three points clear of the relegation zone.
But Jones believes they face some crucial matches before they can secure their place in the division.
"We have got six cup finals. I've said it all along it could take 55 points, it could take as many as that," added Jones.
"Everyone is fighting, it's such a tough division and it's getting harder and harder.
"They are all hard games - we showed a lot of character, a lot of determination and a lot of grit and that is what you will need, not just good play."
The home side always had the edge in the battle of the Rovers, but had to rely on centre-half Rob Jones to grab the all-important goal in the 63rd minute.
Tranmere never really threatened in a first half in which chances were few and far between.
But Doncaster always forced the pace and Kyle Bennett and David Cotterill both went close in the first quarter of the game.
Tranmere's only moment of menace before the break was a glancing header from Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro, which sailed just wide although they made a bright start to the second half.
Akpa Akpro volleyed into the side-netting in the 50th minute before the home side took charge and the visitors inevitably cracked.
A free-kick on the left from David Cotterill was headed down by Jamie McCombe and Jones flicked out a boot to guide home his seventh goal of the season from close range.
The visitors started brightly with Sam Togwell testing Graham Stack inside four minutes with a 30-yard drive that the keeper did well to turn round the post.
Just before the half hour, Barnet player-manager Edgar Davids and John Oster combined from a short corner, with the latter smashing a swerving shot at goal that Tommy Lee batted away.
Barnet began to dominate possession and five minutes before the break Oster's corner was met by Jake Hyde but his downward header was well saved by Lee.
Soon afterwards another Oster cross found Hyde, unmarked in the six-yard box, but his misjudged effort was easily cleared.
The hosts started the second half well with Mark Byrne twice coming close, first heading wide from an Oster corner, and then driving a low shot straight at Lee.
But it was the visitors who broke through just before the hour when O'Shea received a Drew Talbot pass with a neat turn before curling a shot over Stack.
Barnet should have levelled 10 minutes later but, when Byrne was played through by Curtis Weston, he elected to cross rather than shoot and his pass was cleared.
And Chesterfield made their hosts pay in the 78th minute when Tendayi Darikwa's driven cross found Togwell, who fired past Stack from close range to move the Spireites within striking distance of the play-offs.
Danny Kedwell's goal early in the second half was enough for the Gills at Priestfield.
Defeats for Rotherham and Northampton ensured a return to the third tier following a three-year absence after Kedwell volleyed home his 15th of the season in the 48th minute.
Northampton went down 1-0 at Bradford, where Nahki Wells took advantage of a mix-up in defence to score easily in the 23rd minute. The win moves Bradford to within two points of the play-offs as Exeter lost 1-0 at home to Dagenham & Redbridge, with Scott Doe's fifth-minute header the only goal.
Rotherham, sixth but with games in hand on those around them, lost 2-1 at Morecambe as Kevin Ellison scored a last-minute winner for the hosts.
Morecambe got the opener against the run of play through Robbie Threlfall, but a somewhat lucky deflected goal from Alex Revell brought Rotherham level, only for Ellison to snatch it at the death.
Cheltenham failed to take advantage of Northampton's defeat and remain fourth after losing 2-0 away to Plymouth, with Michael Hector's own goal ensuring defeat after Reuben Reid's opener.
At the other end of the table, Peter Murphy's injury-time goal for Accrington Stanley kept York in the relegation zone following a 1-1 draw at Bootham Crescent.
York, who sit in the bottom two on goal difference alone, were poised to climb above fellow strugglers Stanley after Adam Reed scored on the stroke of half-time.
Accrington's were about the only fans singing among those near the bottom of the table, with Wimbledon losing 1-0 away to Bristol Rovers and Barnet going down 2-0 at home to Chesterfield.
Fleetwood had a miserable afternoon as they lost 3-0 at home to Rochdale, missing a penalty and finishing with 10 men.
Goals from Ian Henderson and George Donnelly had already put the visitors in control before Andy Mangan missed a 79th-minute spot-kick and Nathan Pond received a second booking two minutes later.
Jason Kennedy's 89th minute goal added insult to injury.
Joel Grant's 19th-minute goal gave Wycombe a 1-0 win away to Oxford.
