Nottingham edge thriller after Olver shoots wide
THE Green & Whites held on for a big away day win as Sam Olver’s last kick drifted wide after Knights had battled back from 17-6 down at halftime.
First tries of the season for Paul Jarvis and Tyson Lewis showed the spirit of the Doncaster side, but a Shane O’Leary penalty in the 78th minute ultimately swayed the result for the Green and Whites.
The Knights started the better side and while Tom Calladine was stopped 5m short, an Olver penalty got the first points on the board, as the fly-half returned to the side after not being eligible to play last week against Ealing as part of his loan agreement.
O’Leary put away a penalty of his own to level and Nottingham grew in confidence. Their first try came after 24 minutes, an O’Leary grubber sitting up nicely for Alex Goble to touch down. O’Leary converted for a 10-3 lead.
Doncaster had a chance of their own soon after, as Ollie Stedman caught a high kick on his own 10m line and burst away into the Nottingham 22. However, he lacked support and tried to pass out wide to Tyson Lewis, but the ball was intercepted.
Nottingham extended their lead before halftime with Jordan Coghlan bursting clear from his own half, avoiding two last ditch tackles, and dotting down. O’Leary converted but Olver hit back with a penalty seconds before half time for 17-6.
Doncaster dominated the early exchanges of the second half just like they did in the first. After three Knights’ scrums in the Nottingham 22, the ball was worked out to Lewis on the wing. The 33-year-old managed to find a gap after some quick feet and score his first try of the season. Olver converted from a tight angle on the right.
The pressure continued with the Knights pushing back the sixth placed Championship side, but were caught against the run of play, as David Williams scored in the corner after going through the phases and finding a gap in the defence. O’Leary missed the conversion as Nottingham stayed ahead 22-13.
A triple substitution of Sam Jones, Joe Sproston and new-signing Dwayne Polataivao sparked the Knights into a comeback. Doncaster passed the ball wide in a similar fashion to the second try and Paul Jarvis, on return from injury, stretched over. Olver converted to claw back to 20-22.
Knights continued in their never-say-die fashion and Olver kicked another penalty after Luke Cole was shown a yellow card for an off-theball incident to give Knights a one-point lead. But it lasted just two minutes as O’Leary notched a penalty of his own and Olver missed with his last ditch attempt.