'We have to learn from our mistakes and we have to get better' - Dons boss reacts to defeat to Barrow Raiders

The Dons led 16-8 early in the second half but conceded three tries without reply as they slumped to a 32-22 defeat.

‘We’re going to win the league!’ rung from the victorious Barrow dressing room after the game – a mood which was in stark contrast to that of Dons head coach Richard Horne.

“I’m obviously disappointed with the result - especially after all the hard work we had put in in the first half,” he said. “We had two good ball sets and we scored two tries. We were in the grind and deserved to be in front at 12-2.

“They scored just before half time which gave them a bit of a lift but I felt that we had done enough and controlled the game enough to go on and win it.

“We also started the second half off really well and increased our lead to 16-8 and then we dropped down to a 50 per cent completion rate and it let them back in the game. We also gifted them field position by conceding six penalties in the second half.

“To lose a game we were in control of is disappointing. Everything we had talked about doing at half time the players did the opposite.

“It looked as though they felt we had to score every time we got the ball and we didn’t need to do that. We just needed to build some pressure.

“Going forward we have to learn from our mistakes and we have to get better.”