Doncaster boss reacts to Challenge Cup win over Workington Town

“It’s always nice to be at home and we’ve got a great facility here,” he said following the club’s thrilling 24-20 win over Workington Town.

Winger Tom Halliday proved to be the Dons’ match-winner with a last minute 90-plus metres try.

“When he got clear I thought he would score because we know he can run,” said Horne. “Their winger, who tried for an ankle tap about 30m out, gave a good chase and had Tom kept straight then he might have got him. But he was smart and moved him about and just managed to pull away as they both got tired at the same time.

“It was a really good game of rugby league with both teams having a high completion rate and both teams going set for set. It was a game which could have gone either way and fortunately it went ours today.

“Both teams had to work hard (in defence). We got done on our right edge on a couple of occasions in the first half but they were just one-on-one misses so it wasn’t a problem with our structure.

“We stayed calm and controlled and got ourselves back into the game at half time and then sneaked it at the end.

“The bounce of a ball can decide games at times and we had a bit of luck in the build-up to a couple of tries. But these things tend to even themselves out over the course of a season so you got to take advantage when it’s your day.

“You generally only get luck in a game by working hard and being in a position to create opportunities and take advantage and that what happened today.”

Despite coming out on top the Dons trailed for long periods of the game.

“They’ve come down from the Championship last season and they are a quality outfit,” said Horne. “We said that they would be very physical, which they were, and that they would throw everything at us.

“They were hard to deal with because they were so big and strong and they’ve got some awkward shaped boys.

“There were some good performances from some of their boys and they will have been kicking themselves on the way back home for not seeing out the game. But it’s never over until the final whistle.”

Horne, who will be checking on several players who picked up injuries in training this week, rested several players who were carrying knocks and gave a senior debut to Hull KR’s teenage stand-off Jack Potter.

“He probably got spooked a little bit by how physical the game was but he showed some nice touches,” said Horne.