Bonus eludes Cougars as Doncaster impress

Paul Cooke’s side outscored the Cougars by six tries to three, thus denying them a losing bonus point from a fraught and at times fractious encounter.

Keighley player-coach Paul March and Doncaster replacement Dean Hadley were shown yellow cards for their part in a melee which resulted in a mass brawl between both sets of players shortly before half-time.

March began in the halves alongside Paul Handforth while Lewis Graham made his debut off the bench after recovering from a broken hand.

Doncaster began strongly and Cooke’s fine pass sent Stewart Sanderson over the line and they soon grabbed a second when Russ Spiers found Mike Kelly in space to dart over the line to score.

Cougars replied through Daley Williams but Doncaster hit back to score again immediately when Sanderson’s perfect pass sent Dave Scott over.

Three minutes before half-time, a melee saw a penalty awarded to Cougars but only after March and Hadley had been sent to cool their heels.

Cougars scored soon after through Paul White to make it 14-8 at the break but after the restart Mick Kelly sent Sanderson over for his second try.

Liam Welham crossed for Doncaster and, although the visitors scored again through White’s second, Nev Morrison put paid to any hopes of a bonus point for the travelling Cougars when he scored in the final embers of the game.

Doncaster: Butterfield, Sanderson, Welham, Morrison, Scott, Cooke, Nicklas, Spiers, Kesik, Pitts, Robinson, Kelly, Emmett. Substitutes: Castle, Spaven, Carbutt, Hadley.

Keighley: Craven, Barnett, Cosgrove, Williams, White, March, Handforth, Shickell, Lindsay, Hesketh, Lynam, Rawlins, Sagar. Substitutes: J. Sheriffe, Graham, Lee, Peltier.

Referee: G Hewer (RFL).

Whitehaven’s home Championship match against North West Crusaders was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.