Hunslet Hawks 20 Doncaster 10: Brickwood try sends in-form Hunslet into Cup quarter-finals

Brickwood supported a run by centre David Clayton, cutting in from the right to score near the posts.

The Hawks took a 12th-minute lead when Steve Lewis ran on to Luke Haigh’s short pass to plunge over near the posts, but Danny Ratcliffe missed the easy conversion. Haigh then scored a try of his own, cleverly dummying his way through from a play-the-ball.

This time Ratcliffe tagged on the goal to give the Hawks a 10-0 lead midway through the first half. Handling mistakes were inevitable in the muddy conditions but Hunslet completed more sets than their opponents.

Hawks centre Josh Nathaniel failed to grasp the greasy ball with the line at his mercy from Danny Grimshaw’s astute kick and when Doncaster did get over the line just before half-time, Liam Cunningham’s ‘try’ was disallowed.

However, the visitors finally put points on the board when Paul Cooke tried a grubber kick which substitute Carl Hughes reached first to touch down, Cooke dragging the conversion just wide.

John Oakes restored Hunslet’s 10-point lead by supporting David March to score but Hughes’s second try offered Doncaster fresh hope, Cooke’s conversion cutting the gap to four points.

Brickwood then had the final say, showing splendid finishing to see the Hawks safely home.

Hunslet Hawks: Ratcliffe; Brickwood, Clayton, Nathaniel, Tuffour; Grimshaw, Helliwell; Lewis, Haigh, Yates, Blakeway, Oakes, March. Substitutes: McLocklan, Dooler, Tootill, Benjafield.

Doncaster: Sanderson; Colton, Cunningham, Waterman, Hodgson; Cooke, Hyde; O’Loughlin, Ely, Castle, Robinson, Lawton, Emmett. Substitutes: Powley, Bibb, Welsh, Hughes.

Referee: P Brooke (Manchester).

Doncaster have signed Wakefield utility player Kieran Hyde on a month-long dual registration.

The 22-year-old half-back or full-back, who joined the Wildcats from Bradford three years ago, has made 10 Super League appearances and played for Wakefield against the Dons in last season’s Challenge Cup.