Doncaster Knights win but play-off race is run as Harrogate and Pocklington keep promotion hopes alive
A five-try away win for Doncaster Knights was not enough to keep them in the hunt for the promotion play-offs in the Championship.
The Yorkshire side ran out 37-17 at Caldy, but with teams above them also securing big wins it means the Knights cannot reach the top six and extend their season.
It took Doncaster 17 minutes to open their account through East Timor Viliamu, the No 8 powering over after the Knights had made full use of an overthrown lineout.
Inside centre Connor Edwards added a second try on the half-hour and stand-off Morgan Bunting slotted over the conversion, and the Knights had secured a four-try bonus point by half time with scrum-half Oliver Fox and second row Morgan Jones also touching down, Bunting adding one of those conversions for a 24-0 lead at the break.
The home side hit back with two tries in the first two minutes of the second period to narrow the gap to 24-10.
A penalty from Bunting eased the pressure and Kehinde Olowofela’s 47th-minute try was converted by Bunting to progress the score to 34-10.
After a raft of substitutions Caldy pulled back another try, but they never seemed to be in danger of catching Doncaster, with a late penalty from Russell Bennett capping a good away win.
National Two North champions Sheffield signed off on a high, treating the Abbeydale Park crowd to an 80-0 drubbing of relegated Scunthorpe.
The 12-try masterclass featured four tries from scrum-half Elliot Fisher and a hat-trick from inside centre Will Smith, while the whole team worked well to create some great periods of classy rugby.
Hooper grabbed the first try after just two minutes with Callum Posa converting, and Fisher’s first came on 17 minutes, Posa again adding the extras.
Smith powered over and Posa converted on 19 minutes, while Hooper’s second on 27 minutes helped Sheffield take a 26-0 lead at the break.
Fisher added another in the first minute of the second half, Posa converting, and they combined once again in similar style four minutes later to open up a 40-0 lead.
Fisher bagged another on 47 minutes as Scunthorpe’s defence flapped around, and Henry Thourgood-Marshall’s 52nd minute try was converted by Posa again.
Hooper, Felix Crapper, Smith and sub Pierre Charles Sewell also crossed.
Regional One outfit Harrogate scraped into the play-off finals with a 41-40 victory over hosts Anselmians, keeping their dreams of National League rugby alive.
They will now travel to Rossendale next Saturday to battle for a spot in National Two (North) next season.
Pocklington’s hopes of promotion from Regional Two North East are still alive after they beat Consett 29-25 in their play-off clash.
They will now face a trip to Regional One North East strugglers York next Saturday with a spot in the higher league at stake.
Elsewhere Wath on Dearne won 51-12 at New Brighton in the RFU Community Cup North Plate quarter finals.
The final two matches in Counties One Yorkshire both saw nail-biting finishes.
Goole edged to a 32-31 victory at hosts Yarnbury to secure third spot in the table, while West Leeds held on to win 38-37 over Hullensians.
The two bonus points secured by Hullensians was just enough to see them climb out of the relegation zone and condemn Beverley to the drop.