In what was a “must win” game between the two bottom clubs, the match unsurprisingly turned out to be a dull and drab affair with little excitement or quality. The drizzling wet conditions contributing to the lack of enterprise from either team as Goole finally came out on top, much to the relief of the anxious home supporters.
From the kick off Goole immediately put pressure of themselves with a sloppy start to the game that allowed Phoenix to take an early 0-3 lead, and that was how it remained until the 20th minute when a Rhys Moore penalty brought Goole level at 3 – 3 after a series of unproductive lineouts close to the Phoenix try line. With neither side being able to overcome the opposition defensive line, the match entered a stage of midfield mediocracy, with Goole making an early replacement bringing the returning Sean Roberts off the bench and Moore moving to scrum half. Unfortunately, the switch had little time to be of any benefit when Roberts was almost immediately yellow carded as Phoenix took advantage to kick two more penalties to give them a 3 – 9 half time lead.
Goole started the 2nd half at a much higher tempo and were immediately rewarded with an early penalty kick to bring the score to 6-9. That was quickly followed by a try from the returning Roberts who crashed through two would-be tacklers to score under the posts. 13 – 9. Goole were now playing with the pace and confidence absent from the first half display and looked like a side that could go on and win the match handsomely. Disappointingly the optimism evaporated almost immediately with a dropped ball from then kick off gifting possession to Phoenix who spent the next five minutes pressing for a try only to be thwarted by committed tackling from the home team defenders.
With Goole now on the attack after another successful kick-chase, the game took an unexpected twist after 20 minutes with a harsh red card for Goole’s Charlie Walton for what the referee later described as a “technical offence”. Goole then conceded three penalties on the trot that resulted in Phoenix recapturing the lead 13 – 14 with an unconverted try in the corner. Unfortunately, for Phoenix the lead did not last long as they gifted Goole with three points from the kick off with a reckless offside to hand the lead back to Goole 16 – 14. This penalty award was then followed by another with calls from the touchline to kick at goal to extend Goole’s lead. With the kick option being turned down in favour of an attacking 5m line out, it really was all or nothing and to the credit if the players, it paid off with quality ball from the lineout coming to Townend at pace who offloaded in the tackle to Roberts to go over for his second try. The conversion extending Goole’s lead to 23 – 14. To Doncaster Phoenix credit, back they came and kicked a penalty to get within losing bonus point territory at 23 – 17 and the match still in the balance. From the kick off a school boy error by a Phoenix defender gave Moore the chance to kick at goal to deprive Phoenix of the losing bonus point but disappointingly the kick drifted wide as the game came to an end with Goole just about deserving the victory after playing the last quarter of the match a man down.
Certainly not a classic match but a hard-fought win that will hopefully kick start the season for Goole if and when their selection challenges diminish. They have a tough away game at Pontefract next week but if they can recapture the faster tempo that they achieved as the start of the second half, they will be in with a shout.