DONCASTER 72 BARROW RAIDERS 0
STEVE HOSSACK, Club Doncaster Sports Village, Sunday

DONCASTER halfback Connor Robinson broke the known first-class record for kicking consecutive goals with the second of his twelve conversions as his side booked a qualifying final tie against London this weekend in impressive style, which suggests the Broncos will not have it all their own way.

It was Robinson’s 78th minute long-range penalty, his fifth goal of the game, which secured the Dons a crucial 26-25 league win up in Cumbria last month on their way to claiming fourth spot and denied the Cumbrians a double.

The Raiders arrived in DN4 as one of only two sides – London being the other – to have beaten the Dons at home this season, but there was to be no repeat of their earlier success on a day when the home side hit top form.

The Dons, whose fourth-place finish was their highest at this level for over a decade, expected a tough test against a Barrow side contesting the play-offs for the first time since 2022.

That looked to like being the case with the Cumbrians slightly shading the early exchanges during an untidy start.

But once the Dons had broken the deadlock on 13 minutes – skipper Cory Aston latching on to a lost ball in the tackle ten metres out – the complexion of the game changed.

No sooner had the cheers died down than the Dons scored again.

Winger Edene Gebbie broke strongly and linked with classy fullback Tom Holmes to get centre Watson Boas away and the PNG international beat a couple of defenders on an angled run before touching down close to the posts to give Robinson a simple conversion to break the record.

Holmes, who really should have been stopped, somehow managed to force his way over in the corner through sheer determination. Robinson’s touchline conversion gave his side an 18-0 lead at the start of the second quarter.

The one-way traffic continued with Robinson, who again added the conversion, sending second-rower Alex Sutcliffe over from close on 33 minutes to make it 24-0.

Boas hammered another nail into Barrow’s coffin in the dying moments of the first half when touching down in the corner from Sutcliffe’s neat grubber. Would this be the end of Robinson’s record-breaking run, many home supporters will have wondered as he lined up his touchline conversion attempt, which subsequently sailed between the posts to give his side a 30-0 interval lead.

The Raiders, who had been restricted to just a couple of half chances in the first half, made a spirited start to the second and went close to a try through Ryan King. But they fell further behind on 46 minutes when Tyla Hepi sent Bureta Faraimo over from close range for a sixth converted try.

The Raiders never stopped trying and created a couple of good chances, which they fluffed, in the last ten minutes. But by that time they had conceded five more converted tries two of which were scored by hooker Isaac Misky.

Fittingly Robinson, who had set up two tries as well as kicking 12 goals, had the last word with a late converted try following more good work by the outstanding Gebbie.

He has now kicked 52 consecutive goals, smashing the previous known record of 41.

GAMESTAR: Connor Robinson had a day he’ll never forget.

GAMEBREAKER: Doncaster’s third try scored by Watson Boas opened up an 18-0 lead, which was never challenged.

MATCHFACTS

DONCASTER
1 Tom Holmes
2 Bureta Faraimo
4 Reece Lyne
24 Watson Boas
18 Edene Gebbie
6 Cory Aston
7 Connor Robinson
8 Brad Knowles
19 Connor Jones
10 Suaia Matagi
12 Alex Sutcliffe
22 Luis Johnson
14 Jacob Jones
Subs (all used)
17 Muizz Mustapha
20 Isaac Misky
21 Tyla Hepi
24 Tom Whitehead

Tries: Aston (13), Boas (15, 39), Holmes (20), Sutcliffe (33, 59), Faraimo (46), Whitehead (54, 67), Misky (56, 64), Robinson (78)
Goals: Robinson 12/12

RAIDERS
1 Luke Cresswell
20 Dan Knott
12 Matty Costello
4 Curtis Teare
5 Luke Broadbent
6 Brad Walker
7 Ryan Johnston
8 Joe Bullock
9 Josh Wood
31 Ellis Gillam
15 Charlie Emslie
11 Ellis Robson
13 Ryan King
Subs (all used)
15 Greg Richards
17 Alex Bishop
22 Jarrad Stack
32 Harvey Makin

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0, 18-0, 24-0, 30-0; 36-0, 42-0, 48-0, 54-0, 60-0, 66-0, 72-0

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Doncaster: Connor Robinson; Raiders: Ryan Johnston

Penalty count: 5-4
Half-time: 30-0
Referee: Ryan Cox
Attendance: 728