Doncaster Dragons 82, York Wasps 4

Just when it seemed a light was emerging at the end of the tunnel, the bad old days returned with a vengeance at Belle Vue yesterday.

Plenty of excuses have been made for some of York Wasps' heavy defeats this season but on this occasion there were no mitigating circumstances.

It was painful to watch, even more painful to hear the Doncaster fans laughing at York's schoolboy errors.

But you could hardly blame them - there was no other suitable response for some of the mistakes.

It wasn't just the repeated loss of possession and flimsy defence - that has become a common sight for Wasps fans this season. But when a team fails to find touch from penalties on three occasions and concedes a try direct from a kick-off then something is seriously wrong.

Indeed, nothing went right for the Wasps from start to finish - or even before the kick-off. Coach Lee Crooks' plans went to pot when Aaron Campbell, who had been pencilled in to play at full-back, pulled out with a shoulder injury.

Instead Mike Hall hung onto the number one shirt for his second game but by the end must have been cursing Campbell's misfortune.

He could do nothing to slay the Dragons who cut through the Wasps defence at will.

To make matters worse it was the ex-York contingent who did much of the damage.

Paddy Handley bagged two tries, Craig Forsyth on his debut and Peter Edwards scored one apiece while Simon Irving kicked 13 goals to break Doncaster's goals in a match record.

Handley was superb at scrum-half, showing the kind of form which eluded him for most of his stay at York. Prop Forsyth likewise was outstanding after coming on as a first half substitute.

But they weren't the only players to hit top form. Despite their recent financial problems, Doncaster have retained a team littered with Super League experience and quality players, not least Maea David, Brad Hepi, Craig Lawton and Paul Mansson.

Twelve of the 17 players got on the scoresheet as the Dragons ran in 14 tries, most of them fine examples of the kind of flowing rugby indicative of such a glorious, sunny day.

It took them less than two minutes to break down the Wasps defence, Edwards breaking from halfway before off-loading to David to finish off.

Full-back Lee Maher, skipper Edwards, Handley and Carl Hall all scored tries as Doncaster raced into a 32-0 lead after just 23 minutes.

York's most settled period of the game followed and was rewarded with their only try.

What a fine try it was too, centre Mark Spears' brilliant pass creating an overlap for Cottingham Tigers winger Phil Musgrave who showed a stunning turn of pace to sprint 60 metres to the line. Danny Waite failed with the conversion to leave the half-time score 32-4.

Worse followed after the break. Mansson was the next on the scoresheet then Waite failed to find touch with a penalty 10 metres from his own line and the Dragons capitalised to score through second rower Tony Miller.

York attempted a short kick-off but could only direct it straight into the arms of man of the match Lawton and, with nobody attempting to tackle the second rower, he burst straight through the line for the easiest of tries.

After Hepi had got in on the act with Doncaster's ninth try, the Wasps continued to be their own worst enemies and hoofed the kick-off straight over the dead ball line, handing a penalty to the home side.

They didn't manage a try on that occasion but it wasn't long before the floodgates opened again with tries by Handley, Ian Ranskill, Maher, Jonathan Woodcock and last but not least Forsyth.

Just a couple of months ago the big prop was more used to being on the receiving end of such thrashing - to see him now playing his part in inflicting them on his former club was a painful end to a torturous day.

Northern Ford Premiership

Sunday, May 6, 2001

Doncaster Dragons 82, York Wasps 4

Doncaster Dragons

Tries: David (2mins), Maher (12, 64), Edwards (16), Handley (19, 59), Hall (23), Mansson (45), Miller (49), Lawton (51), Hepi (53), Ranskill (61), Woodcock (70), Forsyth (79).

Goals: Irving 13 (inc 1 pen)

DONCASTER: Lee Maher, Jonathan Woodcock, Carl Hall, Simon Irving, Anton Garcia, Paul Mansson, Paddy Handley, Maea David, Peter Edwards, Tony Fella, Tony Miller, Craig Lawton, Brad Hepi.

Subs: Wayne Green (Mansson 54), Peter Green (Forsyth 50), Craig Forsyth (David 24), Ian Ranskill (Fella 24).

Re-subs: David (Edwards 50), Forsyth (Ranskill 62).

Sin-binned: None

Sent off: None

York Wasps

Tries: Musgrave (34mins)

York: Mike Hall 6, Simon Wray 6, Lee Badauskas 7, Mark Spears 6, Phil Musgrave 6, Mark Dooley 6, Danny Waite 5, Neil Harmon 6, Alan Pallister 5, Andy Hutchinson 6, Carl Bristow 6, Nathan Pincher 5, Mick Ramsden 5.

Subs: Matt Mulholland (Pincher 25) 6, Ricky Hall (Pallister 55) 6, Shane Cochrane (Ramsden 55) 5, Darren Crake (Hutchinson 22) 6.

Re-subs: Pincher (M Hall 63)

Sin-binned: None

Sent off: None

Penalties: York 7, Doncaster 5

Scrums won: York 11, Doncaster 5.

Attendance: 741

HT: 4-32

Referee: Paul Lee (Leigh)

Evening Press/Guildford Construction man of the match: LEE BADAUSKAS: On a day when no-one really stood out, he showed some good touches and gave 100 per cent