Doncaster Knights 13 Plymouth 20: Momentum remains with us – Knights chief Howells

A late penalty from Ali Warnock, followed by a missed kick from his opposite number Keiran Hallett, left Doncaster with a losing bonus point and a seventh-place finish, leaving them in a play-off pool with Exeter, London Welsh and Nottingham.

Plymouth's win shut the door on Rotherham's chances of making it a South Yorkshire double in the promotion play-offs.

But the Premiership dream remains alive for Doncaster, who have to negotiate six pool games, a semi-final and a two-legged final to play among the elite for the first time.

Howells feel that despite Saturday's defeat, the Knights have retained the momentum gained from eight wins in nine games inside 27 days prior to the Plymouth defeat which helped them qualify for the promotion play-offs and for the semi-finals of the British and Irish Cup.

"It's a difficult group because we haven't beaten all the sides we're up against," said Howells, who revealed he would have preferred to have been in Plymouth's position with favourites Bristol, Bedford and Cornish Pirates in their pool.

"Being drawn against Exeter gives me another chance to pick a team to try and finally beat them.

"Exeter will be people's favourites but they always get themselves into these good positions and then fail to carry it through. Nottingham is always a tasty encounter and it's a group that is winnable and it's very possible that we can qualify from it. It helps that it's a home and away format.

"This defeat is just a blip, it doesn't affect our momentum. After playing nine games in 27 games we gave the players the majority of last week off and they only had one run out before this game.

"That showed, but in the long run I think it will benefit us. I'm disappointed with the way we played - Plymouth wanted it more. But the good thing is we got that bonus point at the end that keeps us seventh."

Doncaster begin their play-off campaign at London Welsh this Saturday, a side they have lost to twice this season.

If they play like they did against Plymouth, error-strewn and lacking urgency, they will be only one outcome.

But Howells insisted: "In a way it is irrelevant what has gone before. In the play-offs it's a cup game every week. What we have to ensure is that the right Doncaster turns up every week."

Having finished third, fourth and fifth in the last three seasons, seventh is by no means seen as an accomplishment.

However, considering they lost their first six fixtures of the 22-game season, that they have an outside chance of reaching the two-legged play-off final to determine who wins promotion to the Premiership, is an achievement in itself.

"I think everybody in the league was shocked when we lost our first six games, and it's certainly been a testament to the boys' hard work that we've turned it around," added Howells. "With a small squad it's no mean feat. The players deserve a big pat on the back."

Perhaps it was the fact that the Doncaster players knew it would take a ridiculous set of results to oust them from the top eight, that they started so poorly.

They were behind after just 41 seconds, No 8 Andy Boyde guilty of missing a tackle that allowed Ben Mercer to touch down in the corner.

Hallett missed the conversion but gave Plymouth an 8-0 half-time lead with a penalty.

A rollicking from Howells sparked Doncaster into life and they immediately cut the deficit with a penalty from Warnock.

However, the game was put beyond them with two super tries in three minutes from the visitors. Keni Fisilau sent fellow centre Sione Tuipulotu over on the left wing and then scored an incisive third try.

Mercer skipped down the right and played the ball inside to Fisilau, who chipped the ball over Stevie McColl's head and beat Bevon Armitage in a race to touch down.

The Doncaster pack laid siege to the Plymouth line and earned a penalty try due to the strength of their scrum on 65 minutes.

Warnock's conversion and an 80th-minute penalty after Armitage was hauled down by the neck, gave Doncaster the losing bonus point.

Hallett's failure to land a penalty prevented Plymouth from stealing seventh place.

Doncaster: McColl, Flockhart, Tonga'uhia (Carter 50), Armitage, Williams, Warnock, Griffiths N Hallam 77); Davies (Corsar 40), Boden (Lawrie 68), Cusack (Thiede 71), Kenworthy (Griffiths B 71), Townson, Kettle, Grainger, Boyde (Cochrane 50).

Plymouth: Kingdom, Mercer, Fisilau, Tuipulotu, Gibson, Hallett, Cushion (Lewsey 80); Rice, Clark, Hopkins, Hotson, Skelding, Stephen (Sprangle 66), Watts-Jones, Marriott. Unused replacements: Davies, Hopper, Owen, Porter, Collier.

Referee: JP Doyle.