SHEFFIELD EAGLES 0 DONCASTER 46
DAN FOWLER, Steel City Stadium, Friday
DONCASTER made their Good Friday a great one, massacring neighbours Sheffield in their own backyard to go joint-top of the table alongside out-of-action London.
It was a welcome return to the Steel City for the Dons’ ex-Eagle quartet of Tom Holmes, James Glover, Cory Aston and Titus Gwaze – with the first three of those getting on the scoresheet in the first half as Doncaster led 0-32.
Sheffield’s misery was compounded by a bad injury to key pivot Jordan Lilley, which will have been the last thing coach Craig Lingard wanted after this showing.
The procession started early on, three minutes in to be exact. A Lilley knock-on gave Doncaster prime attacking position which they capitalised on via Bureta Faraimo in the right corner.
Connor Robinson couldn’t convert but he went on to kick successfully after five of the eight tries which followed.
The visitors extended their advantage after ten minutes when an Aston ball was met by Luis Johnson, who touched down.
As Lilley was helped from the field, replaced by hooker Reiss Butterworth, Sheffield were having to put square pegs in round holes and this didn’t go unnoticed by the Dons.
Robinson was causing just as much destruction as halfback partner Aston, the former York man putting Glover in for an easy score.
The very next set brought more celebrations for the travelling Doncaster contingent, as an Aston kick was tapped down by Faraimo for the halfback to collect himself.
Two more tries followed for the Dons before the interval, the first coming from a deflected Robinson kick which ended with a Holmes score.
The second came on the stroke of half-time from the ever-dangerous Connor Jones, scooting from dummy-half and punching his way through some weak goal-line defending for a very comfortable 32-point lead after the first period.
As is usually the case when there has been a runaway first half, the second didn’t quite follow the same pattern, but Doncaster remained the better side by a clear distance.
When Reece Lyne went over after just two minutes of the restart, it was certainly a case of just how many points the Dons could put on the board.
Glover brought up the 40-point mark with his second score of the afternoon, a fine take of a cross-field kick allowing him to plant the ball down.
What will have pleased Doncaster head coach Richard Horne most would be his side’s tenacious defending and their want to keep Sheffield at nil.
They managed to do that despite the hosts having plenty of promising territory, with both Marcus Green and Jack Bussey going close but being held up.
Just as he did in the first half, the final word went to Jones as another burst from dummy-half came up trumps.
GAMESTAR: Cory Aston had the ball on a string and got himself a try for good measure.
GAMEBREAKER: Connor Jones’ try on the stroke of half-time gave the hosts an unassailable advantage.
MATCHFACTS
EAGLES
2 Joe Brown
21 Ryan Millar
4 Kieran Gill
19 Will Oakes
5 Billy Walkley
6 Kai Morgan
7 Jordan Lilley
22 Masi Matongo
9 Corey Johnson
10 Martyn Reilly
3 Josh Hodson
13 Jack Bussey
15 George Griffin
Subs (all used)
14 Reiss Butterworth
16 Blake Broadbent
17 Harry Bowes
24 Marcus Green
DONCASTER
1 Tom Holmes
2 Bureta Faraimo
4 Reece Lyne
23 James Glover
18 Edene Gebbie
7 Connor Robinson
6 Cory Aston
27 Titus Gwaze
19 Connor Jones
10 Suaia Matagi
12 Alex Sutcliffe
22 Luis Johnson
17 Muizz Mustapha
Subs (all used)
13 Loui McConnell
14 Jacob Jones
16 Pauli Pauli
21 Tyla Hepi
Tries: Faraimo (3), Johnson (10), Glover (23, 49), Aston (26), Holmes (34), C Jones (39, 75), Lyne (42)
Goals: Robinson 5/9
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 0-10, 0-16, 0-22, 0-26, 0-32; 0-36, 0-40, 0-46
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Eagles: Martyn Reilly; Doncaster: Cory Aston
Penalty count: 7-3
Half-time: 0-32
Referee: Scott Mikalauskas
Attendance: 1,194