REPORT | Dons 50 West Wales Raiders 10

The Dons secured their first win of the Betfred League One season with a comfortable 50-10 victory over West Wales Raiders at the Keepmoat Stadium.

Winger Sam Doherty was the star of the show as he ran in five tries including a first-half hat-trick in South Yorkshire.

After a sloppy start to the game where the ball went to ground in each of the opening three sets, the Dons struck first when a nice team move saw the play worked out to Doherty who had acres of space to score in the corner.

Doherty was in again eight minutes later in a similar move, with Matty Beharrell at the heart of the play to set up the winger who got away from his opposite number Dai Evans to double his tally for the afternoon.

The home side extended their lead with 21 minutes gone when captain Brad Foster had far too much power for the visiting defenders and twisted his way over for his first try of the Betfred League One campaign.

The Raiders almost got themselves on the board four minutes later, with the first opportunity coming when Emosi Nadaubale was held-up, before Jason Tali did brilliantly to force Robert Matamosi into touch as he looked set to score in the corner.

They were made to pay for not taking the opportunity when the Dons scored their fourth try of the game, as prop forward Ross Peltier crashed through the line to score under the posts after getting on the end of a short pass.

There was still time for another score before the break, as Doherty collected a smart pass from Sam Smeaton before racing down the touchline to give Richard Horne’s side a 28-0 lead after the opening 40.

It took until 14 minutes into the second-half for the Dons to add to their tally, and it was Doherty who got his fourth of the afternoon in the process. Kieran Cross did all the hard work with a break down field, before the winger collected with his back to line and somehow got the ball down.

The 26-year-old got his fifth three minutes later as he got up highest to meet Beharrell’s kick to the corner, before Peltier scored the try of the game as he broke from his own half and showed a great turn of pace to get away from Phil Cowburn and go over for his second.

Cross then got in on the act for the Dons as he went through a huge gap to take his side to the 50-point mark, that was prior to Jack Logan being sinbinned following a professional foul as he attempted to stop a Raiders break.

The visitors took advantage of having the extra man and scored their first try when Morgan Evans powered over from close range.

And they weren’t done there as Matamosi went on a brilliant weaving run and had the presence of mind to get around the last defender and reduce the deficit further with the final score of the game.