Knights End League Season on Defeat to Ealing Trailfinders at Castle Park

A frustrating second half didn’t manage to build on a positively competitive first half from the Knights as Ealing Trailfinders ultimately pulled away to a 14-35 win.

The Londoners were the first on the board. After a good first hit into the maul from Donny, Ealing were forced to go to the phases. With an advantage coming their way Luke Daniels got a pass on the wing with an overlap on the Knights and ran in the first try which he then converted himself.

The Knights first came in a not dissimilar fashion. With the maul brought to ground, and an advantage coming their way, the Knights looked to play on the line. Ultimately, the advantage wasn’t needed as a lovely longer pass found Robbie Smith who ran in the first home-side points with Billy McBryde converting.

Shaun Malton was sin binned for the visitors for infringements made when Donny scored their first try, so the Trailfinders were reduced to 14 men.

Just shy of the half hour mark, the Knights scored their second. After some great work tight to the line in the Ealing 22, the Donny men went wide to their backs. Will Yarnell fed McBryde for a looping pass out to George Simpson on the wing. The winger then quite simply flew over for the try with a lovely conversion from the touchline from McBryde adding the extras.

Ealing equalised 5 minutes later. Simon Uzokwe broke through the middle of the Donny line and had Bobby De Wee in support to take the pass and run the try in by the posts – a valiant attempt from Yarnell for the last-dash ankle tap falling inches short if it’s target. Daniels converted to bring the sides level.

Ealing seemed to, unfortunately for the Knights, be in control from the outset of the second half onwards. Recycling ball in the pick and go carries on the line, whilst also switching to a couple of long passes, they found another gap for De Wee to secure a second 5 minutes into the second half, Daniels once more converting.

The fourth, bonus point securing try, came on 54 minutes played as the travelling side found a gap on the edge of the line, sending Reuben Bird-Tulloch scampering through to dot down underneath the posts, making a simple conversion for Daniels.

The final points of the encounter were scored with 15 minutes left on the clock. The opposition played with pace off their set piece, and the Knights didn’t leave themselves enough time to fold to block the gaps in the line before Will Davis broke through to score, Daniels’ conversion putting the sealant on things.

A sin binning for John Kelly with 11 minutes left didn’t help the Knights dogged attempts to get something more out of the encounter in the second half, and ultimately, it just wasn’t to be for the home side.

The Knights squad will look to re-group, analyse and go again in next week’s Championship Cup semi-final against the same opposition down in London.

Match Statistics

Starting XV | 15 Maliq Holden; 14 George Simpson, 13 Harry Davey, 12 Alec Lloyd-Seed, 11 Robbie Smith; 10 Billy McBryde, 9 Will Yarnell; 1 Kai Owen, 2 Will Holling, 3 Jake Armstrong, 4 Evan Mintern, 5 Ben Murphy, 6 Sam Daly, 7 Martin Sigren, 8 Thom Smith.

Replacements | 16 George Roberts, 17 Jake Pope, 18 Karl Garside, 19 John Kelly, 20 Jared Cardew, 21 Alex Dolly, 22 Tom Parkin, 23 Connor Edwards.

Tries: R Smith, Simpson

Cons: McBryde 2

Yellow card: John Kelly

Ealing Trailfinders XV | 15 Cian Kelleher; 14 Luke Daniels, 13 Max Bodily, 12 Reuben Bird-Tulloch, 11 Nathan Earle; 10 Dan Lancaster, 9 Craig Hampson; 1 James Gibbons, 2 Shaun Malton, 3 Lewis Thiede, 4 David O’Connor, 5 Andrew Davidson, 6 Adam Korczyk, 7 Simon Uzokwe, 8 Will Montgomery.

Replacements | 16 Cam Terry, 17 Will Davis, 18 Jimmy Roots, 19 Bobby De Wee, 20 Ollie Newman, 21 Jordan Burns, 22 Steven Shingler, 23 Jack Digby.

Tries: Daniels, De Wee 2, Bird-Tulloch, Davis

Cons: Daniels 5

Yellow card: Shaun Malton

Referee: Andrew Jackson

Gallery

Doncaster Knights v Ealing Trailfinders