Dons fightback in vain against high-flying Oldham

The Dons looked to be dead and buried midway through the second half when trailing 30-12 but they staged a tremendous fightback and came agonisingly close to snatching a dramatic win.

Papua New Guinea Test star Watson Boas would surely have scored after latching on to a loose ball and bursting through towards the halfway line had he not been pulled back for being marginally offside.

Completing high and kicking well on the last tackle, the visitors dominated the territorial exchanges in the opening ten minutes during which time second-rower Matty Ashurst, one of eight players with Super League experience in their ranks, was held up over the line.

Oldham’s early pressure paid off when they took a deserved lead on 12 minutes. Scrum-half Riley Dean swerved past a couple of Doncaster defenders from ten metres out for a try which former Warrington and Catalans star Josh Drinkwater goaled.

The Dons struggled to get out of their half and they fell further behind when centre Jordan Turner forced his way over out wide following some snappy handling.

The home side capitalised on a rare visit to the Oldham 20 on 26 minutes when Hull FC loanee Jack Charles touched down after the ball had bobbled about in the blustery conditions from an offload by winger Luke Briscoe just short of the line.

The Dons got their noses in front against the run of play on 34 minutes when Brad Hey, who ran strongly with the ball as did fellow centre Reece Lyne, managed to find winger Eden Gebbie who raced away to score a another try converted by Connor Robinson after initially juggling the ball.

Just when it looked as though the Dons would go in ahead, Drinkwater shot over for a 38th minute try he also converted try to give the visitors a four-point lead. He also tagged on a penalty on the stroke of half-time.

Drinkwater bagged a second converted try three minutes into the second half from a five-metre scrum after Gebbie had made a handling mistake when fielding a kick over the line to leave the Dons trailing 24-12.

The Dons came under further pressure and when Drinkwater notched his hat-trick try from close range on 55 minutes to give his side an 18-point lead the result looked to be a foregone conclusion.

But the Dons managed to find a second wind. And when hooker Isaac Misky, who showed up well when coming off the bench, darted over from acting half-back on the hour for a converted try after Pauli Pauli had driven strongly towards the Oldham line to make it 30-18, their spirits rose.

Gebbie then rose above his markers to touch down in the corner from full-back Craig Hall’s cross-field kick to close the gap to just eight points.

Despite fears that their earlier defensive efforts would take their toll in the latter stages, the Dons finished the stronger side and Lyne went close on the right before Hall made the extra man in the last-minute move which led to Gebbie’s hat-trick try on the opposite flank. Robinson’s touchline conversion hit the post.

Dons: Hall, Briscoe, Lyne, Hey, Gebbie, Charles, Robinson, Knowles, Burns, Matagi, Jones, Smeaton, McConnell. Subs: Boas, Misky, Hepi, Pauli.