Doncaster RLFC suffer narrow defeat to well-fancied Widnes Vikings

Despite the result, this was easily Doncaster’s best performance of the season against a quality Widnes side which had taken Super League giants Warrington Wolves to the wire in their Betfred Challenge Cup tie the previous weekend, and if they can build on the many positives their hopes of a play-off spot in September could well be realised.

Doncaster enjoyed the better of the early territorial exchanges with both Suaia Matagi and Pauli Pauli making good ground but it was the visitors who drew first blood when capitalising on back-to-back penalties in the Doncaster half when prop Martyn Reilly crashed over from close range for a converted eighth-minute try.

Their confidence boosted by the try, Widnes enjoyed the better of the play in the first quarter with scrum half Tom Gilmore and dual-registered full back Cai Taylor-Wray both showing up well.

The Dons opened their account on 22 minutes when a move instigated by stand-off Craig Hall, who varied his tactics well in the key role, ended with winger Bureta Faraimo powering his way over in the corner for a try superbly converted by the half-back to level the scores.

But for losing his footing close to the line, Pauli, who had an outstanding game in a hard-working pack, would have crossed from Hall’s pass.

Winger Luke Bristoe, another to impress, went close in the corner prior to breaking down the middle to set up a try for the supporting Watson Boas, which Hall again converted to give his side a 12-6 lead.

Widnes had rarely threatened to add to their early score in the second quarter, but they closed the interval gap to just two points deep in stoppage time - winger Ryan Ince rounded a bout of slick handling when diving over in the corner for unconverted try.

Ince bagged a second try eight minutes into the second half when running in unopposed from ten metres out.

The Dons regained the lead when Hall and Faraimo combined to give second-rower Jacob Jones the chance to touch down. Hall failed to add the extras as he did from a penalty from a similar spot.

Windes turned defence into attack when the speedy Taylor-Wray latched on to a loose ball and never looked like being caught on a 70m run to the line for a try Gilmore converted to give his side a 20-16 lead.

The Vikings opened up a two-score lead when winger Rhys Williams capitalised on Boas, who made several strong breaks during the game, losing the ball in the tackle close to his own line.

All looked lost at that stage, but the Dons set up a grandstand finish when birthday boy Matagi crossed for a late converted try.

With the final hooter having blown, the Dons threw caution to the wind in search of a fifth try and full-back Edene Gebbie would have backed himself to score had he gathered a loose ball 40m out.

Dons: Gebbie, Briscoe, Lyne, Hey, Faraimo, Hall, Boas, Knowles, Burns, Matagi, Jones, Pauli, McConnell Subs: Smeaton, Bowden, Misky, Salabio. 18th Man: Robinson