REPORT | Dons 26 Oldham RLFC 30

The Dons fell to a narrow defeat at the Eco-Power Stadium as they lost out to Oldham RLFC by four points.

Richard Horne's side led in the first half after tries from Jack Charles and Edene Gebbie, but the Roughyeds responded to go into the interval ahead.

Isaac Misky and Gebbie added further tries for the Dons after the break, but it wasn't to be the hosts' day in DN4.
Horne made two changes to the side that started in the defeat at Barrow Raiders seven days earlier, as Brad Knowles and Sam Smeaton returned to the starting XIII. Pauli Pauli, Tyla Hepi and Isaac Misky also returned to the team as interchanges.
The visitors started the brighter of the two sides and first knocked on the try-scoring door after seven minutes, but the Dons defence held the Oldham attack up on the line.
That was to be a warning sign for the hosts as the Roughyeds' Dean Riley found a gap on the right-hand side and cut through to ground under the posts. Josh Drinkwater added the extras.
The away side's strong start to the game continued after 14 minutes as Jordan Turner powered his way to the line on the left wing and gave his side a ten-point lead.
This time the Dons responded. Great determination on the right-hand side saw Jack Charles free to pounce on a loose ball and charge over the line for his first try in Dons colours after 28 minutes. Connor Robinson added the extras.
And Horne's men then took the lead on 35 minutes. The Dons worked play over to the left and found Gebbie, who eventually secured his collection and raced clear to cross uncontested.
The visitors retook the lead just before the hooter, though, as Drinkwater found a gap to cross through the middle with ease, and then there was still time for the Oldham number 23 to pin a penalty through the sticks with the last meaningful action of the first half.
Drinkwater continued his point-scoring act after the break, finding another gap, this time on the left, to cross and secure his brace. Drinkwater then successfully converted for a 12-point lead after 44 minutes.
The Oldham scrum-half completed his hat-trick on 56 minutes after charging through another gap, this time to the right of the posts. The Australian then followed his try with another successful conversion.
But the Dons weren't done with the contest. 18th man Isaac Misky made inroads on the Roughyeds' lead five minutes later, holding off his man to ground to the left of the posts. Robinson added the extras to bring the Dons within 12 points again.
And that deficit was trimmed again after 67 minutes. Gebbie climbed highest to collect a huge kick into the corner from Craig Hall and grounded to bring his side within eight.
The Dons almost set up a grandstand finish when Reece Lyne charged at the line, but the Oldham defence held the hosts' captain up on the line.
Horne's men pushed to make further inroads on Oldham's lead in the remaining time, and Watson Boas looked set to race clear on the final hooter, but he was caught offside and the visitors took the points.
Dons: Hall, Briscoe, Lyne, Hey, Gebbie, Charles, Robinson, Knowles, Burns, Matagi, Jones, Smeaton, McConnell. Interchanges: Baldwinson, Pauli, Hepi, Boas, Misky.