Moseley lose sixth consecutive game in poor display at Doncaster Knights
Dec 21 2009 by Ken Montgomery, Birmingham Mail
MOSELEY lost their sixth consecutive match when tries from Hudson Tonga’uiha and Andrew Boyde gave Doncaster victory at snowy Castle Park.
To add to Moseley’s woes, Neil Mason, Andy Hall and Gareth Taylor were all sin-binned during the first half and they were non-existent as an attacking force until the dying moments.
The men from Billesley Common must get back to winning ways quickly if they are to avoid involvement with the Championship’s first relegation play-offs.
Next weekend’s traditional Boxing Day clash with Coventry presents a golden opportunity, given the current plight of Moseley’s oldest rivals.
The home side took the lead in the ninth minute, when powerful centre Hudson Tonga’uiha forced his way over from a close-range ruck, with fly-half Ali Warnock converting.
The forward contest was short of Christmas cheer from the outset and it was no surprise when Mason was sent to the bin for punching.
After a well-struck Tristan Roberts penalty had put the visitors on the board, they lost two more players to the sin bin in the dying moments of the half.
Scottish international lock Hall saw yellow after the referee adjudged him guilty of a professional foul, before Taylor followed for preventing a quick tapped penalty.
The Knights struck again direct from the restart when Boyde took the scoring pass after lock Bryn Griffiths burst 30 metres through some weak tackling.
Doncaster missed two simple chances to extend their lead and claim the try bonus point before Moseley finally showed some intent in injury time.
Jonny May produced two determined thrusts to within range of the home posts, while Tonga’uiha was in the sin-bin following an off-the-ball obstruction.
But the Knights held firm and move above Moseley into eighth place at the Championship’s mid-point.
DONCASTER: Carter; Wright, Tonga’uiha, Armitage, Briers; Warnock, HallaTa’u; Griffiths, Townson; Boyde, Grainger, Plainchant. Replacements: Cusack, Lawrie, Corsar, Kenworthy, McColl, D’Arcy, Cochrane.
MOSELEY: Borgen; Thirlby, May, Reay, Mensah-Coker; Roberts, Taylor, Williams, Caves, Sigley; Muldowney, Hall; Mason, Pennycook, Rodwell. Replacements: Harden, Oselton, Stott, Wilson, Rowland, Pasqualin, MacBurnie.
Referee: Keith Lewis.
