Rochdale and Keighley lose so good win for dons

Yes, a very good win , thought the forwards handled the big Haven pack .
10 - 18 down after 63 mins what a fight back .

Another big game next weekend & still in with a shout for 2nd spot.
Much improved performance , well done !


COYD

Well done to the lads. You did yourselves proud today. It was a tough game and you deserved to come out on top.

The decision-making was better. Throwing the ball out wide after Mick Butterfield's break was just what was needed.

I thought the general match tactics were good and a lot of credit must go the coaching staff. They'd done their homework and had a game plan to overcome the Whitehaven strengths.

I hope the Whitehaven guy who was carried off isn't too badly hurt. It looked a nasty one.

The Dons thoroughly deserved the win today, well done indeed!

Looking forward to next week. Its going to be tough, a real six pointer.

COYD

As I said in a text I sent to someone in the stand shortly after the injury, from my position (behind the sticks at the Whitehaven end, I was about 30 yards from him), his left knee hyperextended. He's probably damaged ligaments in his knee.

iy was good to see coady have a very good game apart from a well taken try he came inside looking for the ball a great all round perfomance well done indeed, icing on the cake other results went our way as well.

Wow, now I know why it's not easy to post your opinions. That is harsh on Whitehaven, no blinkers, no sentiment involved we looked dead and buried at half time and I said so to a few

. Whatever TM said it worked, please take nothing at all away from Whitehaven they looked busy, they looked like a team we did not.(First half) But from somewhere we conjured up a win and I'm chuffed for the players and for the fans but on the balance of play it was anybodies game.(The Whitehaven players body language at the whistle spoke volumes) I suppose when it mattered we really wanted it and that is pleasing, and the celebrations at the final try says that. I'm really chuffed for Craig Fawcett who turned the game with that solo try. Anyway I will agree that next week does have some real bite to it and any game against Worky is a good un this could be even more so.

Not the best game that either side will have ever played but credit to our guys they stuck at it and sneaked a win. At this stage of the season that is all the matters.

Currently in Cosgrove, Northants for a long weekend but the victory made the 240 mile round trip well worth it. Well done to all concerned.

Is Northants a hot bed of real ale. ( Carlsberg my bottom) I'm scratching my head over that one. Enjoy your break.

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/r82photography/sets/72157627308588503/Photos[/url - Spot the addition in the Grant Edwards presentation photo.

I don't think it's harsh.

Bearing in mind that had they not had 9 points deducted at the beginning of the season they would be
in second place on 41. I was expecting a much sterner test. Credit to Whitehaven, they are a big, handy
team: very mobile. But I thought they lacked direction in the middle. Infact, at times, I thought they looked
clueless. Lots of one man rugby. Then when they did start to throw it about nothing stuck. How many
knock-ons? How many forward passes? I thought at half time that it was anybodys game.

Then we came out and scored a quick try. "We were taking control" I thought to myself "we're gonna win this!" At this point Whitehaven were breathing through their ar*es.

Then they scored. They got a visible lift from this and at the same time you could see our heads drop.
They got a second wind and were starting to run the show. There seemed to be no openings for Donny.
We were struggling to get back into the game. But the Dons stuck with it, tackling there hearts out. And,
crickey, were they tackling! Those big lads took some dropping. Then lo and behold, in the last 20 minutes
or so, Whitehaven started to make the errors which so characterised their game today. And when they did
Doncaster were in just the right place to make them pay. And they paid!

The Dons gave us a demonstration of dogged persistance today. Something that was missing from the
previous match at Keighley.

Whitehaven, for me, had a nightmare. Nothing went right for them. They'll be back, I'm sure about that.
But today was not their day.

I think its another case of us managing to grind out whats required over 80 minutes, instead of shutting down and conceding daft tries, as we have in the past.

This seasons Donny side, whilst devoid of the major household names of Championship rugby, has been one of the most efficiently drilled, and definitely the fittest sides we have turned out in recent years.

A lot of praise has to go to Tony Miller, and his coaching staff, but we have to praise Carl, John, Steve and the other owners, for the way in which they have let Tony work. In the past, it would have been easy for us to make a kneejerk reaction and sack people, but given a chance, and the backing, Tony has produced a cracking side.

Should we not get promotion this season, I won't despair, we'll give it a bloody good crack next year.

Thought we looked better today with Fawcett back , Kyle back as hooker & P Hughes adding pace around the ruck area.

With players coming back next week hopefully , TM will have a strong squad to call on.

A big well done to the lads for todays victory against probably IMO the best team in this league, lets not see them again until the play off final.

Apart from the Kesik trademark try it was all one-way in the second half and the Dons were struggling to make any yards apart from off Spav's kicking.
So I was gob-smacked and delighted that we managed to score two more tries and win it at the end.

It didn't look on in the second half since Whitehaven apart from the fact that they lacked some invention (a bit like us at times) were the better unit.
But absolute credit to Fawcett for his individal effort and Butterfield for making the break that led to Morrison's winner.
I was out of my seat with joy (good old Joy ... don't tell the wife).

That win was down to fantastic tackling and sheer hard graft and keeping going when all looked lost.

We struggled in the forward area though, Whitehaven were
bigger.

[url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/tables/6487547.stmThe table ... tighter than a duck's @rse[/url
Tailor made for next Sunday.

I thought a crowd of 501 was disappointing for such an important game.
COYD

it was plain to see that whitehaven were knakered in final 10 it was down to our superior fitness that we overcame a very big side ,it is ok having a big side as long as they last the full eighty, they were twice the size of the dons , a good little un will beat a good big un ,roll on next sunday

Only a long weekend (back this evening) but certainly no shortage of real ale in this particular corner of Northants I'm pleased to report.

More reflections on the game.
I thought Coady played better.
He is a big tall lad and the kick was perfect for his try.
I thought he did more work yesterday and that is what is required of a winger when your forwards are tired.
He needs to do a lot more of that should he be selected, which looks probable.
Top tip Mick ... bend your legs when picking a ball up and you might not knock-on as much.



Sanderson played, much to my delight, he's a hard worker who is always busy and safe under a high ball.

We did give them some soft stuff, as they did to us to be fair.
Sanderson not waiting for a man catching a ball to land and giving a penalty away, instead of a creating a drop-out.
Morrison not coming inside and getting bundled into touch, thus turning the ball over.
Butterfield playing the ball sloppily and giving Haven the ball near our own line.
These thing don't help and are avoidable, but luckily Haven were worse than us at mistakes and it didn't matter in the end.
COYD
PS Laughton took some stick, but the amount of stuff he awarded us at the end must have dispelled any suggestion of bias.

did we watch the same game.i think they only had 4 or 5 attacks in the game.ronnie managed to give them 2 tries.one was a blantant crossing that everyone but ronnie saw,and one from 2 forward passes 1 marginal but the 2nd nearly half a yard.there defence was good i will grant you,but the result was the right one,the dons deserved the win.then again i was wearing rose coloured specs and blinkers with a blue and gold scarf with matching hat and handbag.COYD.

agree entirely donny good post

Well I was there and you were obviously there so we must have both been at the Keepmoat yesterday Sunday 14th August 2011. Am I now barred for life for a different view

I thought it was one of our best performances of the season.We were well disciplined , solid defence and asked the questions going forward just what we have been lacking of late.

A big well done to all the lads and all at the club.Lets hope for a repeat against Worky next week!

COYD

no just for being abit touchy someone else as got one.seems i watched the same game as karlos.