Gloucester All Golds 4 Doncaster RLFC 42
Doncaster ended their regular League One campaign on a high when beating University of Gloucestershire All Golds 42-4 at the Prince of Wales Stadium.
With Newcastle suffering a last-minute defeat at Hunslet, the Dons pipped them for fifth spot as a result of their third successive victory.
There had been no shortage of points when the clubs met in the Challenge Cup at the Doncaster Athletics stadium in March, the Dons winning 48-22.
But it took until the second quarter for the Dons to open the scoring – hooker Ryan Wright sending prop Mark Castle crashing over from close range near enough for scrum-half Jack Miller to convert in the 26th minute.
Wright had looked set to open the scoring earlier following a good move involving former Great Britain forward Jamie Thackray, but the referee had spotted a forward pass in the build-up.
The Dons had also carved out the only other scoring chance of note in a tight opening spell – in-form winger Sam Doherty narrowly failing to get on the end of a Reece Dean grubber kick close to the line.
Little had been seen of the All Golds as an attacking force until the 36th minute and the Dons breathed a sigh of relief when a dangerous-looking raid down the left broke down.
The Dons got the start to the second half they had been hoping for with powerhouse prop Feka Paleaaesina scoring a trademark try from a 42nd minute free-kick.
Miller again added the extras and he was also on target minutes later to make it 18-0, after Aaron Jones-Bishop had gone close, following a try by Doherty as the Dons capitalised on a 40-20 kick by stand-off Jordie Hedges.
Doherty soon touched down again for a second converted try to make it 24-0.
Second-rower Mike Kelly came close to celebrating his first league game for a year following knee surgery with a try just short of the hour. It only proved a stay of execution, however, and Dean touched down on 67 minutes following an interception by Hedges.
Miller made it six from six when making it 30-0. Second-rower Brad England scored arguably the try of the game with Wright setting up a second for Dean, both of which were converted by Miller. Home winger Mo Agoro scored out wide late on to complete the scoring.
Dons: Dean, Doherty, Welham, Jones-Bishop, Sheriff, Hedges, Miller, Aizue, Wright, Thackray, Martin, England, Green. Subs:Paleaaesina, Kelly,Castle, Cross.