Doncaster RLFC underline promotion credentials as they thrash Betfred League One title rivals Workington

Neither camp will have predicted such a scoreline which reflected how well the Dons played rather than how bad Town were.

With half-backs Ben Johnston and Connor Robinson both hitting top form, third-placed Town had no answer to a superb attacking display by the Dons. They posted four tries to establish a 22-6 interval lead which laid the foundations for a win which kept the pressure on leaders Dewsbury who they visit this weekend.

The Dons had only beaten the Cumbrians by two points, in a game in which the result was in doubt until the final whistle, when they met in the Challenge Cup earlier in the season. But it never looked like being as close.

Their only try came from an interception when they trailed 18-0 and although they went close on another couple of occasions the Doncaster defence was as impressive as their attack.

Stand-off Johnston jinked his way into space and raced towards the Town line before finding the supporting Elliot Hall with a try scoring pass and he gave scrum-half Connor Robinson an easy conversion.

Winger Tom Halliday helped the Dons turn defence into attack and Johnston sent skipper Sam Smeaton racing over from close range for a second converted try to make it 12-0 after just ten minutes.

Robinson, who also added the extras, dummied his way into space around 35m out before sending loose-forward Loui McConnell over.

Town’s joy following their converted interception try was short-lived, with Jason Tali sending winger Jack Sanderson, who had a try disallowed a couple of minutes later, over for an unconverted try out wide on 25 minutes.

The Dons started the second half as they had started the first, Tali forcing his way over for an early converted try.

Tali bagged a second on 50 minutes after McConnell had gone close to brace himself after crashing through several tackles.

Johnston kept the scoreboard ticking over with a superb solo try worth the admission money alone.

The half back broke the line about 35m out and raced toward the touchline before using winger Tom Halliday, who cut inside, as a foil as he dummied his way to the line. Robinson’s conversion made it 40-6.

McConnell capped an impressive display when crashing over for the last try of the game on 80 minutes to further reward the support given to the team by the unusually noisy fans.

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