REPORT | Midlands Hurricanes 26 Dons 24

The Dons fell to a narrow defeat in the Betfred Championship as they lost out at Midlands Hurricanes.

Richard Horne's side struggled to get a foothold on the first half and fell 16 points behind before Edene Gebbie got the visitors on the scoreboard with a try on the stroke of half time.

Reece Lyne and Muizz Mustapha tries as well as a Corey Aston brace put the Dons in front with 14 minutes to play after a resurgent second half, but a late score from the Hurricanes gave the hosts victory.
Horne made four changes to the side that started in the Betfred Challenge Cup win over Newcastle Thunder a week earlier, with Brad Hey, Watson Boas, Brad Knowles and Greg Burns all handed spots in the XIII. New signing Titus Gwaze featured as an interchange.
Midlands started the stronger of the two sides and opened the scoring on six minutes as Roberts stretched his arm to ground just over the line on the right. Else added the extras.
The home side were in again after 15 minutes, as Roberts was this time found out on the wing on the right to score and give his side a ten-point lead.
The Hurricanes got an even tighter grip on the fixture on 33 minutes as Else spotted a gap to cross on the left. He then converted his own try.
The Dons had work to do and started to make inroads just before the interval. The visitors went right from the scrum to leave Gebbie to go over for his first try of the season and leave a half time scoreline of 16-4.
Horne's men came out with intent in the second half and scored four minutes after the restart. Play was again shifted to the right, and Lyne spotted the gap to race through and reduce the deficit by another four points.
But Midlands instantly struck back. After a fumbled catch from kick off, the Hurricanes made the most of it and left Johnson to find the line on the left-hand side.
The visitors came again, though, as Muizz Mustapha held off his man on 57 minutes to ground just to the right of the sticks. Aston added the extras.
Aston was at the centre of the action five minutes later. The Dons captain stayed alert to pounce on a bobbling kick through on the last to score on the right. The Dons were two points behind.
And four minutes later, they were in front. Aston received a gift of a ball inside his own 20 and ran the length of the pitch to score his second try of the afternoon underneath the sticks on the counter. The skipper then converted his own try for a four-point lead.
But despite the Dons' hard work in fighting back, it was undone with five minutes left to play. Chrimes bundled his way through on the left and grounded in the corner. Else again converted, this time from out on the wing to put Midlands back ahead.
Horne's men threw everything at it in the remaining time, but it wasn't to be, as the Hurricanes took the two points.
Dons: Holmes, Gebbie, Lyne, Hey, Glover, Boas, Aston, Knowles, Burns, Springer, Sutcliffe, Johnson, Mustapha. Interchanges: Pauli, Jones, Hepi, Gwaze.