Report | Rochdale Mayfield 0 Doncaster 20

The Dons progressed to the next round of the Betfred Challenge Cup after a forward dominated victory over Rochdale Mayfield

The Dons dominated a rain soaked first half with the game kicking off in atrocious conditions as heavy rain came in over the adjacent hills.  

The first ten minutes were dominted by the Dons with Mayfield hardly getting out their own half, and it wasn’t until the 11^th minute when the home team troubled the Dons line. The resultant attack saw Zac Braham sin binned for a late hit. 

Even though the Dons were down to twelve men they continued to dominate, and that pressure finally paid off as Greg Burns scuttled under the Mayfield defence to open the scoring in the 15^th minute. Connor Robinson converted to take the score to 6-0.  

The first half was littered with penalties to both sides, but the Dons maintained the upper hand putting constant pressure on the opposition line.  

Connor Robinson continued to move the Dons up the pitch with his accurate kicking game and the domination finally paid off in the 25^th minute as Ben Johnston aimed a kick through at the post pads and the kick rebounded into Alex Holdstock’s hands for the forward to stretch the gap to 10-0.  Robinson again converting to stretch the lead to 12-0.

Half-time | Rochdale Mayfield 0 Doncaster RLFC 12. 

The rain abated as the players came out for the second half but the pitch was by now a mud bath.  

Rochdale started to show some good ball handling early in the second half to gain territory without ever troubling the Dons line, and it was the Dons who opened the scoring in the 42^nd minute  with Ben Johnston scuttling over stretching the lead even further.  

The game was now a battle of the middles as the Dons forward pack continued to make good metres and threatening the Mayfield line, which in the 56^th minute resulted in a sin binning for Rochdale’s Kershaw for holding down in the tackle.  

The Dons made the extra man pay in 66^th minute as centre Robbie Storey forced his way over out wide to make the score 20-0.  

The Dons defence was now focused on keeping the opposition to nil and some fine goal line defence kept the home team at bay for the whole game.

The lads now progress to the next round and face Whitehaven at the Eco-Power Stadium

Full-time | Rochdale Mayfield 0 Doncaster RLFC 20