Coach 'Cookes' Up Dons Delight

Doncaster 22- 16 Featherstone

Kingstone Press Championship
Keepmoat Stadium, attendance – 1317

Doncaster player/coach Paul Cooke can add the title of ‘matchwinner’ to his ever growing list of roles and responsibilities within the south Yorkshire club’s ranks following his 70^th minute try which salvaged a creditable win over highly-fancied Featherstone.

Cooke-d to perfection

The 32 year old (right) was the difference between the two sides and his majestic dummy late on was fit to settle any game in a contest where Doncaster held the lead for the large part.

After Dave Scott and Jay Pitts had helped the hosts in to a 12 point lead before the half hour mark, their biggest enemy was a near-crippling penalty count against them; their ill-discipline only outdone by the weather and subsequent bouts of hail.  

Featherstone got off the mark just before half time when Ian Hardman pounced on a chip through to race clear and halve the deficit and, though Stewart Sanderson kicked a penalty for the Dons, Rovers carried that momentum forward in to the second stanza.

Hardman, again, went over on 55 minutes on the left flank for 14-12 and the trick was repeated by centre Greg Worthington just eight minutes later but former Doncaster half back Kyle Briggs missed the resultant conversion.

The visitor’s two point lead only lasted a matter of minutes though, as stand-off Cooke stood up when his team needed him most and his delightful shimmy to the line sent his troops to second in the division before Sanderson added extras and a late penalty for a parting shot.