Doncaster Knights 38 Coventry 24: Knights display their powers of recovery to extend winning run

Coventry controlled the first 40 minutes so convincingly that Doncaster appeared to have the game lost, having conceded three tries on 5, 22 and 37 minutes.

Coventry’s fly-half, Tommy Mathews also slotted three conversions and a penalty, meaning the visitors’ healthy 24-10 lead was justified, given their skill and the opponents’ errors.

Therefore, it was remarkable that Doncaster, slow and dreary in the first half, should transform themselves, not only scoring four excellent tries but, astonishingly, preventing Coventry scoring any points whatsoever in the second period, to run out deserved 38-24 winners.

Earlier, the try by scrum-half Alex Dolly on 29 minutes demonstrated Doncaster’s ability, but it was concealed until after the interval when the Knights’ power scored 28 points in a rampant 20-minute spell.

The award of a penalty try started the fight-back and that breakthrough was quickly followed by fluent and skilful tries from backs Obi Ene, Zach Kerr and Jordan Olowofela, who sliced through for his 16th Championship try.

Doncaster’s comeback was boosted by the accurate goal-kicking of Dolly, who struck four conversions and a penalty to add to his first half try.

This victory means that Doncaster now move up to fifth in the league on 61 points with an overall record of 12 wins from 19 games and seven defeats.

And with three matches remaining – a home clash with Cornish Pirates sandwiched between trips to Hartpury and Ampthill – their current form means they they may finish even higher.

As more new re-signings are announced this week, one player who has already said he’d be staying is hooker George Roberts, now in his sixth season.

“I think these are exciting times, so I liked the look of it,” said Roberts. “The atmosphere here is brilliant and it’s the first time that most of the lads are staying and they wouldn’t do so unless they were ambitious and the club too.

“There’s a lot of fight in this side and we must give credit to the bench which provided so much energy in the second half.

"Looking back, I think we have a dominant pack, especially at scrum time, and having been upset a few times by Coventry, it was nice to win at home.”

How Doncaster’s forwards perform is the responsibility of coach Darren Fearn, ex-Newcastle Falcons, and former head coach of England Students who’s in his first season at Castle Park.

“I thought our skipper and second row Ben Murphy was outstanding and when hooker Ben Chapman came on, he made a difference,” said Fearn.

“We put a lot of pressure on Coventry’s set-piece and defensively our pack was strong. We kept the ball alive and our speed at the ruck went up.

“This is a good club with great people involved and there’s real passion. The exciting thing is that something is building here.”

Doncaster Knights: Veainu, Cross (Ene, 9), Olowofela, Kerr, Rokoduguni, Bennett (Bunting, 75), Dolly (Fox, 72), Davidson, Roberts (Chapman, 50), Mulipola (Thiede, 46), Murphy, Williams, Hopkinson (Smeaton, 52), Tait (McGuire, 71), Strong.

Coventry: Trotter, Opoku-Fordjour (Lane, 64), Henry, Morris, Martin, Mathews (Richman, 68), Maunder (Barton, 62), Trinder (Warren, 64), Poole, Ramont (Johnson, 60), Green (Owen, 60), Anstey, Ball, Kvesic (Hinkley, 60), Nayalo (Ma’asi, 50).

Referee: Hamish Smales.