Doncaster RLFC produce stirring comeback to beat Oldham in Challenge Cup

Sanderson scored two in each half, including the winning score five minutes from time which gave the Dons the lead for the first time in the game.

The Dons’ hopes of finding themselves in the third round draw looked bleak when they found themselves trailing 18-0 at one stage in the first half of an entertaining encounter.

As was the case in their narrow opening league win over Hunslet the previous week, the Dons were slow out of the blocks and a lively Oldham side, who looked sharp and inventive, took full advantage.

They scored three well-taken tries – the pick of which was the third scored by pacy full-back Gregg McNally, who finished off a superb 50m move initiated by hooker Sam Slater in style.

Although props Jose Kenga and Dean Roberts had gone close for the Dons at 10-0, they had struggled to match Oldham’s movement and creativity with ball in hand.

The need for the Dons to score next became even more vital after McNally’s try and Sanderson certainly lifted the mood in the stadium when crossing out wide.

Martin Ridyard, one of several former Super League stars in the Oldham side, made it 20-6 lead prior to Sanderson again throwing his side a badly-needed lifeline on the stroke of half time when he again touched down out wide after some snappy handling along the line.

Scrum-half Connor Robinson, whose half-back partnership with Ben Johnston played an important role in the Dons second half revival, again added the extras from touch to cut the deficit to just eight points.

When Harvey Makin somehow managed to get the ball down despite the efforts of several Doncaster defenders on 47 minutes to claim another converted try, the Dons found themselves three scores adrift.

Oldham were reduced to 12 men on 53 minutes when James Thornton was sin-binned and the Dons wasted no time in making their numerical advantage pay off as they started to play more of an expansive game, and Sanderson strolled over for his hat-trick after capitalising on an overlap. Robinson again tagged on the conversion from wide out.

When Robinson, who again added the extras, put Brett Ferres over from close range on 66 minutes, just two points separated the sides.

Sanderson won the game for the Dons when crossing from close range for his fourth try.

Dons: Hall, Halliday, Hey, Sanderson, Corion, Johnston, Robinson, Kenga, Petersen, Roberts, Smeaton, Ferres, Holdstock. Subs: Wilkinson, James, Whitmore, Taulapapa.