Ealing Trailfinders 27 Doncaster Knights 14: Mistakes costly as Knights slip down

The result saw Clive Griffiths’s side drop to fourth in the standings.

In the end it was the Knights’ indiscipline that cost them so dearly, combined with a number of individual errors at crucial times.

It was the hosts who fittingly enjoyed the better of the early exchanges, and Ealing opened the scoring when centre Joe Munro was fed by fly-half Aaron Penberthy who was on hand to convert for a 7-0 lead.

Just before the 30-minute mark, however, the Knights were level when Tyson Lewis exploited a gap to feed Mat Clark on the outside for a try that was converted by the reliable boot of Dougie Flockhart.

But two penalties in five minutes early into the second half from Penberthy put the hosts in control of a game they never then looked like relinquishing.

The hosts’ lead became 13 in the 64th minute when Aled Jenkins touched down for another try converted by the accurate Penberthy.

Any hope Doncaster had of finding a wazy back into the match was gone when Curtis Wilson found his way through five minutes later, with Penberthy adding the extras once again.

As the game neareds its conclusion replacement fly-half Declan Cusack touched down in the 76th minute, getting himself off the deck to convert his own effort.

Ealing Trailfinders: Harries, Cordy-Redden, Jenkins, Munro, Wilson, Carter, Penberthy; Lancuba, Lawrence, Thiede, C Jones, L Jones, Ryan, Ellis, Bright. Replacements: Cornish, Gibbons, Penny, Casson, York, Walker, Ward.

Tries: Munro 22, Jenkins 64, Wilson 69. Conv: Penberthy 22, 64, 69. Pens: Penberthy 47, 52.

Doncaster Knights: Jarvis, Flockhart, Clark, Hayes, Lewis, Humberstone, Heaney; List, Allen, John, Nolan, Young, Makaafi, Robinson, Shaw. Replacements: Hislop, Allen, Sproston, Williams, Scanlon, Cusack, Edgerley.

Tries: Clark 32, Cusack 76. Conv: Flockhart 32, Cusack 76. Pens: Flockhart 32

Referee: Fergus Kirby.