Doncaster 30 Oldham 0: Spurr’s hat-trick earns Dons praise from delighted Miller

It ended a run of four successive home defeats and provided ample revenge for a recent 46-24 loss at the Whitebank Stadium.

Dons coach Tony Miller had been especially keen to avenge the defeat at Oldham as he felt it had been the only time his side had really let themselves down this season.

And after yesterday’s game he said: “That was very satisfying. We stayed switched on for the full 80 minutes and our defence was outstanding.”

Oldham looked a pale shadow of the side that ran unbeaten leaders Swinton to a couple of points away from home last week.

They were lacklustre and struggled for ideas but much of that was down to Doncaster who gradually gained a complete stranglehold on the game.

Half-backs Scott Spaven and Craig Fawcett led the way and full-back Mick Butterfield pushed the home side forward at every opportunity.

Second row forward Craig Robinson enabled Spaven to break the deadlock in the 15th minute following a defence dominated opening.

Robinson’s final pass was the culmination of an exhilarating passage of play in which Doncaster passed the ball adventurously before Spaven forced his way over.

Seven minutes later another Spaven run set up Spurr for the first of his tries as he darted over the line.

Doncaster should have gone further in front as they continued to dominate but Craig Lawton dropped a pass from Fawcett when he looked certain to score in the 29th minute and Butterfield lost the ball as he crossed the line two minutes later.

Oldham’s series of escapes continued after the interval when Spaven’s pass was judged forward as the lively Garth Potts touched down and then Adam Scott went over on his back.

But the home team’s superiority was underlined in the 58th minute when slick handling led to Dean Colton racing over in the corner.

Spurr scored twice more, with Spaven kicking all five goals, as a frustrated and outclassed Oldham side seemed to throw in the towel in the closing stages.

Doncaster: Butterfield, Potts, Lawton, Spurr, Colton, Spaven, Fawcett, Scott, Ely, Crawley, C Robinson, Carbutt, Emmett. Substitutes: Kesik, Bovill, Edwards, Dee.

Oldham: Heaton, Brocklehurst, St Hilaire, Wood, S Robinson, N Roden, Forber, Boults, Clough, Ellison, Isherwood, Noone, M Roden. Substitutes: Sutton, Stenchion, Bentley, Whitmore.

Referee: C Halloran (RFL).