Doncaster RLFC’s perfect Betfred League One record ended against Dewsbury Rams

A 14-point purple patch in the final quarter proved crucial in a game between two well-matched sides which had looked to be going down to the wire at the three-quarter stage.

There was no lack of effort from Richard Horne’s side but on the day their performance didn’t quite match those produced against Oldham and Workington in their last two games, on a narrow pitch which seemed to cramp their free-flowing style.

Certainly, half-backs Ben Johnston and Connor Robinson, who have been outstanding at the Eco-Power Stadium this season, found it harder to find space and create chances and there were more unforced handling errors than usual which contributed to the disappointing completion rate.

Unbeaten Dewsbury started strongly and took an early lead when scrum-half Callum Turner shot over from close range for a converted try after just eight minutes.

The big Dewsbury pack, for whom props Jimmy Beckett and Dale Ferguson impressed throughout, continued to pose problems for the Dons, but they gradually started to impose themselves on the game and opened their account on 15 minutes when Robinson dummied his way over from ten metres out to close the gap to 6-4.

The Dons had a chance to grab the lead five minutes later following a good move in the Dewsbury 20, but Jason Tali’s pass out of the tackle failed to find the unmarked Taulapapa on his outside and the chance was lost.

Both sides had further chances in a quality first half.

The Dons made a dominant start to the second and looked set to take the lead when Australian trialist hooker Josh Veacock broke the line only to be denied by a last-ditch tackle by Turner, subsequently sin-binned for holding him down.

Apart from when Robinson levelled the score with an easy penalty, the Dons failed to capitalise on their extra man despite further pressure.

The actually fell behind on 53 minutes, winger Simon Frewin touching down in the corner against the run of play after the Dons had failed to deal with a high kick by Sykes, who added the touchline conversion.

Dewsbury opened up an 18-6 lead when the referee adjudged Turner had been impeded as he chased a kick over the line and awarded a penalty try.

Rams scored from another kick which wrong-footed the Dons before scoring out wide from a well-worked move.

Tali helped give the scoreline a more representative look when he crossed from close range for a late converted try.

Dons: Hall, Halliday, Hey, Tali, Taulapapa, Johnston, Robinson, Cooper, Burns, Kenga, Smeaton, Ferres, McConnell, Subs: Holdstock, James, Knowles, Veacock.