Doncaster 18-10 Oldham
28th of September 2008
Sunday 28th September 2008
Oldham were denied promotion for the second successive year when they lost a nailbiting Co-operative National League Two play-off final 18-10 to Ellery Hanley's Doncaster at Warrington's Halliwell Jones Stadium.
The Roughyeds lost out to Featherstone a year ago and were consigned to another season in League Two after the Dons came from behind to snatch the third promotion place behind champions Gateshead and runners-up Barrow.
All Doncaster's points came from ex-Leeds juniors in a victory that helped erase the memory of their 60-0 defeat by Salford in their previous final, the Northern Rail Cup decider earlier this year.
Oldham dominated the first quarter but only had a penalty from Harlequins-bound centre Mick Nanyn to show for their efforts and it took them until the 34th minute to score the game's first try through centre Ian Hodson.
Doncaster pulled two points back on the stroke of half-time through a penalty from scrum-half Luke Gale and they went in front for the first time three minutes into the second half when substitute Chris Buttery made the most of some shocking tackling to stroll in for a try.
Man-of-the-match Gale, who is expected to be playing in Super League with Harlequins in 2009, added the goal and then converted his own close-range try on 50 minutes to make it 14-6.
Nanyn stretched out of a two-man tackle on the hour for a try that gave Oldham renewed hope but half-back Kyle Briggs clinched victory for the South Yorkshire side with a third try seven minutes from the end.
Oldham were denied promotion for the second successive year when they lost a nailbiting Co-operative National League Two play-off final 18-10 to Ellery Hanley's Doncaster at Warrington's Halliwell Jones Stadium.
The Roughyeds lost out to Featherstone a year ago and were consigned to another season in League Two after the Dons came from behind to snatch the third promotion place behind champions Gateshead and runners-up Barrow.
All Doncaster's points came from ex-Leeds juniors in a victory that helped erase the memory of their 60-0 defeat by Salford in their previous final, the Northern Rail Cup decider earlier this year.
Oldham dominated the first quarter but only had a penalty from Harlequins-bound centre Mick Nanyn to show for their efforts and it took them until the 34th minute to score the game's first try through centre Ian Hodson.
Doncaster pulled two points back on the stroke of half-time through a penalty from scrum-half Luke Gale and they went in front for the first time three minutes into the second half when substitute Chris Buttery made the most of some shocking tackling to stroll in for a try.
Man-of-the-match Gale, who is expected to be playing in Super League with Harlequins in 2009, added the goal and then converted his own close-range try on 50 minutes to make it 14-6.
Nanyn stretched out of a two-man tackle on the hour for a try that gave Oldham renewed hope but half-back Kyle Briggs clinched victory for the South Yorkshire side with a third try seven minutes from the end.
