Sat 26 Oct 2024
Doncaster Phoenix 29 – 22 Old Crossleyans
In a hard-fought match at Castle Park, Doncaster Knights home ground, Old Crossleyans were narrowly defeated by an energized Doncaster Phoenix side, who were eager for their first win of the season. Despite scoring four tries to Doncaster’s three, Crocs found themselves outdone, with discipline issues proving costly.
Doncaster wasted no time, securing an early lead with a penalty from halfway. A well-handled clearance by Alex Thompson set up Matthew Beswick to push forward, but Crocs missed a chance to equalize when their penalty attempt fell short. Miscommunication at the back gave Doncaster territory, and though Dan Smith’s tackle and a Joel McFarlane clearance temporarily alleviated the pressure, Doncaster soon slotted another penalty, taking a 6-0 lead.
An intercepted pass proved damaging for Crocs as Doncaster’s Callum Watt broke through, touching down under the posts for a converted try, extending their lead to 13-0 after twenty minutes. Crocs responded with determination, Alex Thomson making a powerful break before a knock-on halted the effort. However, a Boj Sembi tackle soon won Crocs possession, and a series of “pick-and-go” plays saw Joel McFarlane shift play to James Johnson, who powered over the line for Crocs’ first try.
Crocs continued to press, coming within metres of Doncaster’s line before losing possession. A weaving run by Chris Vine set up Beswick to offload smartly to Johnson, who crossed for his second try, narrowing the score to 13-10 at halftime.
The second half saw Crocs dominating early possession. Strong runs from Seb Da Silva and a clever chip from Johnson put Doncaster under pressure. But as soon as Doncaster regained possession, they were awarded a penalty, which was successfully converted to make it 16-10. Doncaster then capitalized on their home ground’s spacious field, pushing forward and scoring their third try, extending their lead to 23-10. Another penalty further widened the gap to 26-10.
Refusing to give up, Crocs fought back, with George Banham’s powerful carry setting up James Johnson, who offloaded to Ben Hodgson for a try out wide, making it 26-15. As the clock ticked down, Chris Vine made an impressive 60-meter break, linking with Finn Sutcliffe, whose chip was gathered by Finbar Drennan to secure Crocs’ fourth and bonus-point try. At 26-22, Crocs were within striking distance.
Yet Doncaster had the final say, slotting another penalty to seal their victory at 29-22.
