Doncaster 14 Plymouth Albion 9
Doncaster continue to progress
Doncaster well deserved this win against last year’s third placed club with a gutsy performance in the heavy rain at Castle Park. John Cannon, making his starting debut, was the man of the match; and another debutant Ryan Peacey, in for the injured Simon Grainger, showed more of the back row strength in depth that was missing last year. The home side – for the first time at this level – started strongly and took the game to Albion but failed to get points on the board in a 10 minute spell in Albion’s half. Ngalu Tau was judged to have been held up over the line, and Jon Benson missed an easy penalty, before the visitors even crossed the half way line. It was almost 20 minutes before Albion made it to the home ’22 but they then camped there for 10 minutes during which the Doncaster defence withstood everything thrown at them. The pressure was finally relieved when Alfie Tooala was caught by an alert touch judge stamping at a ruck and was lucky to escape only with a yellow card – Doncaster used the time with the extra man to craft two beautiful tries in quick succession. First Charlie Harrison darted upfield, Peacey carried the move on; and when he was stopped, quick recycled ball left found Cannon arriving at pace to burst the defence and score at the posts. Then shortly after, Cannon again was at the heart of a lovely move in which his neat show and go created the opening that Donavan Van Vuuren finished, despite the attention of two tacklers as he forced his way over wide out on the left. Benson converted both scores and a 14-0 half time lead sent home spirits soaring.
Graham Dawe’s half time team talk must have been uplifting as Albion re-appeared in top gear. Winger Tom Arscott ran strongly to set up the position at which Doncaster were penalised for offside and Nat Saumi kicked the goal within a minute of the restart. The Doncaster line out then began to go awry and Albion stole six in the third quarter. These possession gifts allowed Albion to gradually turn the screw and again Doncaster were penalised in their own ’22 and John Boden yellow carded at the tackle. Saumi narrowed the gap further. A man short, the home side rode out the storm with heroic defence at times; and (it has to be said) with the help of two poor refereeing decisions when penalty advantage to Albion in the home ’22 in front of the posts was twice too quickly deemed over with no advantage at all to the visitors. The maul was increasingly the Albion attack of choice as they strove to save the game and it was no surprise when another offside penalty was awarded – although the place of the award was a surprise! The advantage arm had gone out near the touchline but when play stopped, referee Kitt gave the kick there, in front of the posts and Saumi said thank you. Doncaster did have one chance to deny Albion the losing bonus point when Benson’s drop kick went just wide late in the game and the final whistle went with the home defence once more called to arms but they never looked like conceding the try Albion so desperately sought. Now Doncaster are off the bottom and eying the mid table place they increasingly look like the will deserve. A week off now before the first Yorkshire derby when Doncaster will take a large travelling support to Otley on the 22nd October.
Doncaster: J Boden (M Wood 62), D Van Vuuren, J Cannon, B Hunt, L Nabaro, J Benson, C Harrison (L Lane 66), R List (D Young 53), J Roddam (S Boden 35), N Tau, G Kenworthy (J Rule 60), D Cook, R Earnshaw, R Peacey, O Cook.
Plymouth Albion: J Fabian, T Arscott, N Saumi, K Filsilau, N Sestaret, L Arscott, M Albina, M Rice, S Friswell, S Zimmerman, J Brown, T Hayes, M Schustermann, D Thomas, A Tooala.
Referee: R. Kitt (RFU) |
