Sponsored by
Knights chance gone as Kettle boils over
Doncaster Knights 7 Nottingham 23
BIZARRE though it may seem given the final score, as the game went into first-half injury time the Doncaster Knights looked as if they could be on track for their first Championship win of the season.
At that point they were only losing by 3-0 and had played into the sun and a very strong diagonal wind as well as having to put up with the handicap of playing 20 minutes with 14 men as a result of having had two men yellow- carded.
But in the third minute of stoppage time flanker Adam Kettle was dismissed after picking up a second yellow card.
Playing into the elements Knights knew that they would have to front up against a confident Nottingham side and that is exactly what they did.
When they had the chance they attacked and when they had to defend did so with great character and spirit – virtues that had been missing from most of their previous performances this season.
Nottingham had a simple tactical plan and that was to use the wind to pin the Knights in their own half and to attack through driving mauls from lineouts.
The Knights did not help their cause by again conceding numerous penalties, five in the first minutes, but ultimately the referee lost his patience and yellow-carded Kettle for going in from the side.
From this offence Nottingham's Greg Donks put his side into the lead.
No sooner had Kettle returned than Boden was then confined to the sin bin, allegedly for trying to collapse a maul near his line.
Knights flanker Simon Grainger was almost over for a try on the half-hour after gathering a loose ball from a 5 metre lineout, but the referee ruled no try.
With 43 minutes of the half gone, and the Knights looking forward to using the elements in the second half, a fracas broke out just inside the Knights half between Kettle and Nottingham's lock Nick Rouse.
Although the latter appeared to throw two punches to Kettle's one, it was the Doncaster man who was picked out by the touch judge and, following his intervention, the referee gave the Knights forward his second yellow card which meant he was off for the rest of the game.
The Knights started the second half in spirited style – though knowing that they needed to put in an almost perfect performance to win.
But, unfortunately, they kept giving away good positions by being penalised.
Tonks kicked his second penalty on 50 minutes to make it 6-0, but the Knights did not give in and fought back.
Their defence eventually cracked on the hour mark at an attacking scrum when Nottingham scrum-half Tim Usasz took advantage of his side's numerical advantage.
Worst was to follow three minutes later when a Nottingham player broke though a poor tackle in the middle of the field and, after a couple of swift passes, centre Ben Johnston was put in for a clear run to the line for a try that Tonks converted.
Nottingham's open side flanker dived over for his side's third try on 67 minutes.
Nottingham continued to press in search of a bonus point fouth try.
But it was the Knights who scored the last try of the game and, after some good attacking support play, replacement scrum-half Chris Hallam dived over for a try that was converted by fly-half Ali Warnock.
Try as they could Nottingham could not cross the Doncaster line and their seven-man scrum, with Lewis Theide having a tremendous game after coming on for prop Michael Cusack, was outstanding pushing the visitors backwards on several occasions.
As the game went into injury time the Knights had winger Chris Briers totally unjustly red-carded for an alleged punch on a Nottingham forward who took a dive that would not have been out of place on a football pitch.
This incident was "seen" by the same touch judge who got Boden yellow-carded and, whilst correctly identifying Kettle for punching, failed to report the Nottingham player who had been hitting Kettle.
After the game, Doncaster can only look back on their own indiscipline which has now probably cost them three matches. Although injuries have taken a heavy toll on the Knights, the players who have been brought in have marred their performances by falling foul of the match officials.
Doncaster Knights: Davies, Briers, Tonga'uiha, Armitage, Flockhart, Warnock, D'Arcy (Hallam 51), Toke (Corsar 68), Boden (Lawrie 26 – 36, 75), Cusack (Thiede 55), Townson, Griffiths, Kettle, Boyde, Grainger (Smith 70). Unused subs: Wright, Davey
What do you think? Add your comments below.
READ MORE
Subscribe to The Star or Green 'Un
Visit our Matchday Centre for free live coverage of every match
Football headlines. Football gossip. Blades news Owls news Reds news. Millers news. More rugby. More boxing. Sports columnists.
All sport categories
Free E-Mag: Premier League 2009-10 Preview
Watch Premiership highlights, international football, golf, tennis, darts and much more - click here
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Sheffield
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 11 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North east
