Jersey Reds 27 Doncaster Knights 0: Knights return empty handed from Channel Island trip

Although it wasn’t as one-sided as the score might suggest, Jersey deserved to take the spoils showing up well in defence and then making the most of their chances.

Knights’ best chance of the game came after just six minutes. Wing Tyson Lewis looked all set to score after being put away by Cam Cowell before being tackled five metes short in the corner.

Injury-hit Knights dominated the territorial exchanges but couldn’t find a way through the Jersey defence.

They didn’t help their cause with a lack of discipline and numerous handling errors and they also lost three of their own lineouts.

They may well have regretted not going for goal on several occasions rather than kicking for position though the wind may have influenced their decisions.

Jersey came more into the game in the second quarter but it was still against the run of play when stand-in skipper Josh Bainbridge touched down from a well-worked move from a lineout.

Brendan Cope failed to add the extras but made no mistake with a simple penalty in the seventh minute of stoppage time.

Knights made most of the early running after the break but fell further behind when hooker Jack MacFarlane touched down from a catch-and-drive move.

Cope’s conversion made 15-0 and left Knights needing at least three scores to salvage a result.

They never looked like doing so - their hopes not being helped by the sin-binning of second-rower Morgan Eames midway through the final quarter during which time Jersey added another couple of tries.

Knights finished with a late flourish but the Jersey defence held firm.

Knights: Cowell, Evans, Lucock, Foley, Lewis, Olver, James; Thomas, Hunter, Quigley, Eames, Birch, Edgson, Hills, Stedman. Rep: Holling, Hislop, Foster, Calladine, Sproston, Pocklington, McPhillips, Hayes.