EFL 2019: Doncaster East moves two games clear atop the Division 1 ladder
Doncaster East sits two games clear atop the EFL Division 1 table and are warm favourites for this year’s premiership, but coach Steve Buckle has issued a warning to his side’s rivals.
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Here’s a warning to Doncaster East’s EFL Division 1 rivals.
The ladder-leading Lions have motored two games clear at the top of the table, but coach Steve Buckle believes his side can still find a few gears.
Doncaster East improved its record to 12-2 on Saturday after a 28-point win over Bayswater in the first-versus-third clash.
The Lions controlled the contest after quarter-time to score a 13.11 (89) to 8.13 (61) victory at Zerbes Reserve.
Bayswater challenged in the third term but kicked 1.6 as the home side took a 22-point advantage into the final change.
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“They make it really tough, Baysie,” Doncaster East coach Steve Buckle.
“They are good opposition and they’re very physical, they like the game in tight so when you’ve got it on your own terms, you’re never going to blow them out of the water because they don’t allow that.
“We were happy with the result but not satisfied totally with our performance.”
Buckle said it was encouraging his side could still improve as it vies for a berth in the competition’s top-tier for the first time in club history.
The Lions won last year’s premiership but were not promoted as part of the league restructure.
“We don’t want this to come off as arrogant, but you get a five or six-goal win you should be happy every day of the week, but there are still things in our game we can improve,” he said.
“We’re going to keep striving to get that and until we do we probably won’t be happy.”
Jake Summers kicked five goals, Tom Gordon was influential — his disposal and precision passing inside 50 were a highlight — and Jarrod Smith was again important in the ruck.
James Papaconstantinou shut Jack Callanan out of the game and Jarryd Lowther kept Wayne McInerney.
“We thought most of our talls stood up really well,” Buckle said.
“With the centre the way it was (muddy) and the way Baysie play, we thought maybe some of our smaller guys and outside runners might have got them but I think we probably took them to task with our talls.
“Jakey Summer, Tommy Gordon, Smithy in the ruck, Simon White down back was good and Papaconstantinou did a job on Callanan and Lowther did a super job on McInerney.”
White sat out the last quarter with a knee niggle, while premiership pair Michael Steven and Rami Ayoubi are yet to return.
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