REPORT | Dons 32 Goole Vikings 16

A late try-scoring surge gave the Dons victory against a dogged Goole Vikings side at the Eco-Power Stadium.

First half tries from Tyla Hepi, Tom Holmes and Cory Aston put Richard Horne's side at the interval and gave the hosts a platform to kick on from.

Aston added another two tries in the second half to complete a first hat-trick in Dons colours, and a further effort from Edene Gebbie secured the two points on home soil.
Horne made two changes to the side that starred in the thumping of Salford RLFC a week earlier, with Brad Knowles and Hepi both handed spots in the starting XII.
The Dons started well and forced Goole into two goal-line dropouts inside the opening seven minutes as they looked to pin the visitors in early doors.
And on nine minutes they got their reward. The hosts went right, and the Vikings line opened right up for Hepi to slice through and ground with ease to open the scoring. Robinson added the extras.
The Dons went close to adding to their score two minutes later as Robinson kicked into the goal area on the last tackle, only for Luis Johnson to knock on when attempting to collect.
It wasn't to be as straightforward as the week before, however, as Goole responded after 16 minutes through Keenan Tomlinson following a wicked bounce that took the ball beyond Holmes. The visitors were within two.
A spell of numerous errors for both teams erupted over the next ten minutes, but Luke Briscoe then went close to scoring after grounding in the right-hand corner, only to be judged to have stepped out of play on the wing.
Goole tried their luck on the left on the half-hour mark, but they could not breach the Dons line.
Richard Horne's men found their second try of the day in the 33rd minute. Tom Holmes spotted a gap from inside his own half and put on the afterburners to race clear and score on the left. The hosts had a six-point lead.
The Dons weren't content with a one-try lead at the break and went over again just before the hooter. Connor Jones charged at the line and handed to Aston at the last second to give the skipper the easiest of tries. Robinson converted. 16-4 at half time.
The Vikings struck back four minutes after the restart. Shane Tuohey broke away from the Dons line on the right to run clear and go over. Jack Miller added the extras.
And the Tuohey levelled the scoreline on the hour mark. The Goole number 20 sliced through a gap to the left of the posts and scored. Miller converted. 16-16 with 20 minutes of the 80 left to play.
But the Dons responded perfectly. Aston kicked right, Briscoe palmed back inside, Johnson passed left, and Aston took it on to dive over for his second try of the afternoon. Robinson converted.
Three minutes later, Horne's men were in again. The hosts went all the way to the left and found Gebbie, who glided in on the wing. The Dons had a ten-point lead with 13 minutes to play.
And it got even better for the home side. Robinson produced a fine run to shift play from left to right before the ball eventually found Aston, who went over to secure his hat-trick. Robinson successfully converted again. 32-16.
Goole looked to apply the attacking pressure throughout the remaining time left on the clock, but the Dons held firm to take what turned out to be a comfortable win on the scoreboard.
Dons: Holmes, Briscoe, Hey, Glover, Gebbie, Robinson, Aston, Knowles, Burns, Hepi, Sutcliffe, Johnson, Mustapha. Interchanges: Matagi, McConnell, Baldwinson, Jones.