Doncaster Knights hit by '˜massive blow' with fears Mat Clark's season is over

Clark was stretchered off with what is thought to be ankle ligament injury in the opening minutes of the club’s 29-21 Championship defeat against Ealing at Castle Park.

“We’ll get him in for a scan this week so we’ll know more then,” said director of rugby Clive Griffiths, who had originally feared Clark had broken a leg, yesterday.

“If there’s a tear and he needs surgery then he could be out for the season.

“Either way it’s a massive blow.”

To add to the club’s problems, Welsh prop WillGriff John limped off midway through the first half with knee ligament damage and faces around six weeks on the sidelines.

Despite suffering their second league defeat of the season at Castle Park, Knights held on to third spot but saw their lead over the teams below them cut.

“I can’t tell you how disappointed I am; it’s a big loss for us,” said Griffiths reflecting on a game which lived up to all the pre-match expectations but which left Knights empty-handed at the final whistle.

“Some of the old failings – things we have worked hard to try ad eradicate over the years – were on show again and that’s frustrating.”

Griffiths praised the quality of Knights’ defence which restricted Ealing to only two tries – the first from an interception- but was highly critical of their late match-winner.

“They did the same thing to us down there and we’d spoken about it in the build-up so we knew it was coming so that was disappointing,” he said afterwards.

“But the way we came back and almost won the game shows just what great heart and spirit we have in the side.”