REPORT | Dons 44-6 Whitehaven

[Dons News]

Doncaster RLFC 44-6 Whitehaven

Sunday 11th March 2018

Keepmoat Stadium

Betfred League One

ATTENDANCE | 782

The Dons made it three competitive wins in a row in 2018 with a 44-6 win over Whitehaven at the Keepmoat Stadium.

Richard Horne made three changes to his starting XIII, with Jack Sanderson, Jack Downs and Kieran Cross replacing Aaron Jones-Bishop, Brad England and Kyle Kesik.

The Dons were temporarily down to 12 men with just over five minutes on the clock, as full-back Richard Owen was sent to the sin-bin for halting a run forward from Whitehaven winger Jordan Burns.

The home side responded well though and went in front just three minutes later, a burst through from Cross set up Jordan Howden who powered his way over for his second try of the season. Liam Harris converted for 6-0.

Both sides then traded spells of possession in the opening quarter, but handling errors meant neither of them could trouble the scoreboard in the opening stages of the first-half.

That was until the Dons extended their lead through Harris. He intercepted a Whitehaven ball outwide and raced 90 metres to score, before converting his own four-pointer to make the score 12-0 to the Dons.

Whitehaven then got themselves back in the game with a try of their own, as interchange hooker James Tilley collected the ball from dummy-half and barged his way over from close range. Brad Billsborough converted to reduce the deficit further. 12-6.

The Dons extended their lead three minutes before the interval. Tilley was sin-binned for the visitors for a late shot on Jordie Hedges, and Harris stepped up to add the two points. 14-6.

A third Dons try came right on half-time. Whitehaven missed a penalty attempt at one end, before a clever kick from Harris played in Sanderson for another length of the field try. Harris converted for 20-6.

HALF-TIME | Doncaster RLFC 20-6 Whitehaven

The Dons began the second-half as they'd ended the first, as Howden's kick to the corner was plucked out of the air by Sam Doherty on the wing who had enough about him to put the ball down.

They scored again eight minutes later as a swift move eventually saw the ball shifted out to Jack Downs, who supplied the pass to centre Connor Bower and he found a gap in the Whitehaven line to score.

Bower had his second of the game and it was another Howden kick to the corner which did all the damage. This time Doherty patted the ball back into the path of Bower and the former Hull FC man cruised over.

Richard Horne's side went further in front as the game reached the hour mark, hooker Jez Litten went over for his first try of the season after evading two Whitehaven defenders. 36-6.

Sanderson then went in for his second of the game with 10 minutes left on the clock, a smart pass from Owen found the winger in space and he had enough time to walk the ball over the line.

Howden then made it a double for himself three minutes later, a break from Cross left the Whitehaven defence stretched, before stand-off Howden collected the ball 10 metres out to go over and finish off the scoring.

FULL-TIME | Doncaster RLFC 44-6 Whitehaven

DONS XIII | Owen, Doherty, Bower, Tali, Sanderson (D/R), Howden, Harris, Boyle, Cross, Scott, Martin, Downs (D/R), Wilkinson. Interchange: Spiers, Braham, Hedges, Litten (D/R).

DONS TRIES | Howden (8 & 73), Harris (26), Sanderson (40, 71), Doherty (43), Bower (51 & 55), Litten (60) DONS GOALS | Harris (8, 26, 37, 40)

WHITEHAVEN XIII | Abram, Burns, Mossop, Taylor, Thompson, Phillips, Billsborough, Shackley, Howarth, Coward, Gillam, Aiye, Forster. Interchange: Cooper, Holliday, Nzoungou, Tilley.

WHITEHAVEN TRIES | Tilley (32) WHITEHAVEN GOALS | Billsborough (32)

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[deluded pom?]

Talking of tightening up the defence, three times in three separate games the opposition hooker has gone over from close range.