The Knights were on the end of a clinical second half performance from Jersey Reds as they lost 27-0 on the Channel Island.

Despite a dominant first half from the visitors, it was the home side that went into the interval ahead before extending their lead further in the second half.

Doncaster started the game in fifth gear and should’ve had a score in the opening five minutes. Some quick hands allowed Cameron Cowell, on his first start this season since recovering from an ankle injury, space to drive into the Jersey half, the full-back then offloaded to Tyson Lewis; the winger sprinted to within five metres of the try line, but was denied by a superb Will Homer tackle.

The Knights continued to attack and were camped inside the Jersey half and were given a further advantage when Josh Bainbridge was shown a yellow card for repeated infringements. However, the game was soon levelled out, when Ollie Stedman was harshly also given a yellow for an alleged high tackle.

Donny were still dominate and had a number of line outs in the Channel Islanders 22, but couldn’t put any points on the board for which their efforts deserved.

In the 38^th minute, after Jersey’s first meaningful attack, the home side scored through Bainbridge from close range. Brendan Cope missed the conversion, but soon made up for that with a penalty in the latter stages of the half to hand an 8-0 lead to the Reds.

Doncaster started the second half positively, but once again couldn’t get the all important first try of the half. Jersey capitalised on a couple of defensive errors and scored through Jack Macfarlane from a driving maul. This time Cope scored his conversion to give a 15-0 lead to the Reds.

The Channel Islanders were firmly in control of the game as the midway stage of the second half went by. Tom James went the closest to creating a chance for the visitors, when he made a break past the 10m line, but with little support the scrum-half was soon tackled and the danger squashed.

Harvey Biljon’s side then took an even further dominance of the game when Morgan Eames and Joe Sproston were shown a yellow card apiece within the space of three minutes. An advantage they soon took with two quick fire tries in the last 15 minutes.

The Knights battled to the end, but couldn’t put any points on the board for their efforts and leave the Channel Islands with a 27-0 defeat.

Match Statistics

Knights XV: 15. Cowell 14. Evans 13. Lucock(40’Hayes) 12. Foley 11. Lewis 10. Olver(63’McPhillips) 9. James(72’Pocklington) 1. Thomas(44’Hislop) 2. Hunter(68’Holling) 3. Quigley(44’Foster) 4. Eames 5. Birch 6. Edgson 7. Hills (c) (63’Calladine) 8. Stedman(68’Sproston)

Replacements: 16. Holling 17. Hislop 18. Foster 19. Calladine 20. Sproston 21. Pocklington 22. McPhillips 23. Hayes

Yellow card: Stedman, Eames, Sproston

Jersey Reds XV: 15. Dyer 14. Stapley 13. Spencer 12. Best 11. Slowik 10. Cope 9. Homer 1. Morley 2. Macfarlane 3. Clarey 4. Beckett 5. Hatherell 6. Upfield 7. Bainbridge © 8. Venter

Replacements: 16. Harris 17. Godfrey 18. Alexis 19. Bartle 20. Argyle 21. Jones 22. Penberthy 23. Newey

Tries: Bainbridge, Macfarlane 2, Stapley

Conversions: Cope 2

Penalties: Cope

Yellow card: Bainbridge