Rams suffer disappointing end to wonderful season in thrilling game at the Eco-Power Stadium.
After securing the Betfred League One title last time out against Workington Town, the Rams travelled to the Eco-Power Stadium for their final game of the season against a Doncaster side who had pushed them hard in the race for promotion.
The home side started well and seemingly had all the pressure in the early stages and eventually made the pressure count went Mahe Fonua went over from close range, despite protests from the Rams defenders that he hadn’t managed to get the ball down.
The Rams were struggling to get into the game and had their first real chance on twenty-eight minutes when Owen Restall kicked through after latching on to a Calum Turner chip over the top but he couldn’t quite beat the covering Doncaster defender. On the following set, the Rams looked to have scored through Bailey O’Connor but the referee indicated a knock-on over the line.
Almost immediately after Mahe Fonua then looked as if he was in for his second of the afternoon for Doncaster until he knocked-on over the line. On the back of this, the home side then conceded two penalties which gave the Rams excellent field position from which Jack Coventry superbly offloaded for Matt Garside to score his second of the season.
That wasn’t all for the first forty though, just as a frantic first half was about to finish, Calum Turner made a sensational break through the middle of the field and fed Owen Restall to score under the sticks and give the Rams a four-point lead at the hooter.
The second forty started just as wild as the first one finished. With the Rams on the last tackle just inside the Doncaster half they ran the ball down the right which resulted in a second of the afternoon for Matt Garside.
However, Doncaster answered back almost immediately when Watson Boas grubber ricocheted around the Rams defence for him to collect and score.
The madness didn’t stop there though after Doncaster spilled the restart Ollie Greensmith powered his way over from close range to take the Rams lead back up to eight points.
Just as the game looked to have calmed down the home side made a break through the middle and Ben Johnston scored under the posts to bring the game back to within two points. Doncaster then took the lead three minutes later when Watson Boas scooted over for his second of the day.
Brett Ferres was then sent to the sin bin for a slide tackle just before seventy minutes on Owen Restall and the Rams took full advantage when Matt Garside ran through for his hat-trick.
Garside wasn’t going to be the only one with a hat-trick in the game though as Watson Boas grabbed his third of the day after once again a grubber pinballed around the Rams defence.
Mahe Fonua then scored to seal the victory for the home side with his second of the day and in the fracas Ollie Greensmith was shown a yellow card.
After the game Rams Head Coach Liam Finn said, “It’s disappointing to lose today, we wanted to win to give something back to the travelling fans but it wasn’t to be.”
Doncaster RLFC (36): Guzdek, Halliday, Haye, Fonua, Corion, Johnston, Robinson, Vete, Burns, Knowles, Smeaton, Ferres, McConnell.
Interchanges: Foster, Holdstock, James, Boas, Taulapapa (18th)
Tries: Fonua (20’, 78’), Boas (51’, 61’, 78’), Johnston (58’)
Conversions: Robinson (6/6)
Yellow Card: Ferres (66’)
Dewsbury Rams (26): Restall, Carr, O’Connor, Greensmith, Gabriel, Sykes, Turner, Beckett, Butterworth, R.Dixon, Garside, Graham, Davies.
Interchanges: Littlewood, Morris, Summers, Coventry, Collinson (18th)
Tries: Garside (33’, 46’, 67’), Restall (40’), Greensmith (54’)
Conversions: Sykes (3/5)
Yellow Card: Greensmith (78’)
