Doncaster Rovers’ 50-year wait to return to the second tier of English football may soon be over. If they can reproduce last night’s emphatic performance against Leeds United at Wembley a week tomorrow, their place in the Coca-Cola Championship next season will be assured.

Not that Sean O’Driscoll, their manager, will be taking anything for granted in the build-up to the League One play-offs final that the whole of Yorkshire was hoping for. “This is just half the job done and we would like to finish it, so there is no point any of my players getting carried away,” he said.

Doncaster have been widely regarded as the side with the most attractive style of play in League One and James Coppinger confirmed this with an exquisite hat-trick, leaving Southend United’s hopes of an immediate return to the Championship in ruins.

“I said after they played us earlier in the season that they were the best football side in the division. I would love to see them get in the Championship,” Steve Tilson, the Southend manager, who will have found little consolation in Nicky Bailey’s late goal, said.

Coppinger added the finishing touches in style after Brian Stock’s penalty and Adam Barrett’s own goal inside the opening 21 minutes compounded Southend’s error of failing to create any kind of advantage from the opening leg at Roots Hall a week ago.

Doncaster, who were playing in the Conference five years ago, will take some stopping by Gary McAllister’s side in eight days’ time.

Doncaster Rovers (4-4-2): N Sullivan — J O’Connor, A Hird, M Mills, G Roberts (sub: L Guy, 68min) — J Coppinger, P Green, B Stock, R Wellens (sub: M McCammon, 73) — J Hayter, J Price (sub: G Taylor, 76). Substitutes not used: B Smith, G Lee.

Southend United (4-4-2): D Flahavan — S Francis, P Clarke, A Barrett, C Mulgrew — F Moussa, N Bailey, A McCormack, M Gower — L Barnard (sub: A Revell, 62), J Walker (sub: C MacDonald, 62). Substitutes not used: S Colliss, Z Liptak, T Black. Booked: Mulgrew, Bailey, Barnard.

Referee: M Halsey.