REPORT | Doncaster RLFC 4 Featherstone Rovers 46

A bad day at the office for the Dons saw visitors Featherstone Rovers run out 4-46 winners.

There wasn’t much in the opening minutes of the tie and the game didn’t really spark into life until minute six when Ben Reynolds handed an early numerical advantage to the Dons, as he was sent off to the sin bin for 10 minutes for dissent.

Something you may have expected to be in favour of the home side was turned on its head. Losing Reynolds seemed to spur on the visitors and they began to sustain attacks. 

In the seventh minute they got beyond the try line but Ben Johnston managed to kick the ball out before the Featherstone attackers could latch onto the loose ball. 

Maintaining their attacking display it was then in the 11th minute that Featherstone made the breakthrough, Connor Jones with the try, but Addy couldn’t add the extras. 

After quarter of an hour there was a response from the Dons, first going down the right hand side through Luke Briscoe, then switching it left to Josh Guzdek, both very close to going over but not quite providing the finish.

Midway through the first period it was knocked behind again, this time Briscoe after a decent grubber kick from the Featherstone attack.  

The amount of defending for the Dons to do continued to increase. 

Only moments later Gareth Gale was in for the visitors after capitalising on another sustained attack with back to back sets. Reynolds who was back in the field knocked his kick off the top of the crossbar for maximum points, 0-10. 

The first 25 minutes Featherstone had made the most of their chances, when given six again they made it count. 

On the half-hour mark the Dons showed something by way of attack, Connor Robinson's kick ended with Briscoe keeping the Featherstone defence behind their own line and the restart was used well by the Dons. 

Quicker passing from centre to left almost got Guzdek in, but again the Dons couldn’t quite find the finish. 

Tyla Hepi was alleged to have put in an illegal tackle and that handed a penalty to the visitors within kicking distance and they chose to kick the two points over putting them 0-12 in front. 

With only a couple of minutes left in the first period Featherstone were in again, Briscoe looked to scoop it inside but only found the hands of Connor Jones who sprinted 60 metres down the pitch to go over. 

Reynolds couldn’t add the extras.  

That looked to be it for the first half but the Dons weren’t ready to let the game go, Guzdek and Hey combined throwing back and forth between themselves down the left hand side to get the Dons back in the contest. 

The half-time hooter sounded at 4-16. 

A big second half was required by the South Yorkshire side and two minutes in a lovely offload from Johnston was collected by Craig Hall who made up 40 metres before the play ended with a kick being dealt with by Featherstone, but a positive move for the hosts. 

The positive play wasn’t long-lived, Rovers using the turnover to play themselves right up the field and over to increase their lead further. 

Only moments later the game felt like it was really taken away from the Dons, a quick-footed breakthrough the line from Turner and a lovely handoff saw Aekins go over straight down the middle, converted by Reynolds and put the game at 4-28. 

Five minutes later with plenty of time still on the clock, the Doncaster defence couldn’t quite complete the tackle on two occasions and the offloads end in Featherstone's Brad Day finishing off another attack from the visitors. Reynolds converting.  

On the hour mark, Day was in for his second of the afternoon with Reynolds inflicting more damage to the scoreline. 

Just after the hour the scoring was complete, Harry Bowes chased and finished his own grubber kick through the centre and the extras were added to make it 4-46 at the Eco-Power Stadium.