CROSS Keys head coach Greg Woods believes his team are still very much in the British and Irish Cup despite opening their campaign with a home defeat after an excellent encounter.

The big pluses for the hosts were that they picked up two losing bonus points as well as standing up valiantly to the English side's superior physicality.

Bolstered by a number of Newport Gwent Dragons who were parachuted in, Keys played with far greater intensity than they did in their disappointing 34-20 home league defeat to Ebbw Vale the week before.

With a bit more luck, and if they hadn't fallen victim to a terrible decision by referee Shaun Gallagher, they might have won.

The Irish official missed a blatant forward pass which saw Doncaster's Andy Bulumakau effectively take the game away from the hosts which saw the wing cross for a converted try to take his side in a 37-25 lead with 12 minutes to go.

Keys rallied superbly and when replacement back James Cordy-Redden crossed for a try after a patient build up, beautifully converted from the touchline by Geraint Rhys Jones, with six minutes to go, there was genuine belief they could add Doncaster to previous English scalps like Cornish Pirates and Moseley.

They came close and had a lineout five metres from the Knights' try-line with the last play of the game only for a crooked throw-in to frustrate their great escape bid.

Woods was upbeat after an engrossing clash: "It was a pleasing performance and I thought it was a really good game of rugby in which we showed good attacking intent.

"It was a great advert for the British and Irish Cup and we played with a lot of intensity.

"Our set piece was much better but I was disappointed with our errors and we gifted them that first try, which was the difference in the end.

"Getting two bonus points has kept us in the group but we have to go to Bedford now and beat them. We are still very much still in this competition.

"I can't fault the boys really and I thought our second rows Dan Hodge and Simon Williams were excellent."

Keys got off to a great start when a slick move saw centre and captain Leon Andrews go over for a try after a huge gap opened in the visitors' defence, No 10 Dorian Jones adding the extras for a 7-0 lead after just two minutes.

And they added to their lead soon after when their outside half slotted over a penalty.

But they gave a gift of an converted try to Knights' Mat Clark after a loose pass by the hosts' fly half saw the English club's centre cross under the posts after he had hacked the ball ahead.

The Knights' wonderfully named wing Dougie Flockhart, who sounds more like a 1930s Hollywood heartthrob than a professional rugby player in England’s Championship, kicked a penalty to draw the sides level at 10-10 and he put his side into the lead with another one after 20 minutes.

Their advantage only lasted a matter of seconds however as Polu Uhi scored a try from the restart after the Knights made a hash of things, the ball bouncing into the Keys' winger's hands.

The visitors struck crucially just before the interval when their number eight Phil Eggleshaw crossed off the base of a powerful scrum after the hosts put themselves under needless pressure.

Keys responded superbly early in the second half when a neat Jones chip was gathered another marvelously christened player Barney Nightingale, the centre crossing in the corner.

Jones' superb conversion and a monster penalty soon after gave the Gwent side a 25-20 lead.

A fine penalty by Flockhart reduced the arrears before he missed with a far simpler effort.

Replacement back row forward Michael Hills only took a matter of seconds to make an impact after he was driven over the try-line from a driving lineout, Flockhart converting.

That phase of play was also highly significant because it saw Keys lock Dan Hodge sin binned for infringing at the ensuing maul.

Knights wing Bulumakau broke Keys hearts with the converted try that should never have been which took the visitors 12 points ahead.

Substitute Cordy-Redden’s try and Geraint Rhys Jones' superb conversion brought Keys back to within five points.

They looked a good bet to get at least a draw as they put Clive Griffiths' men under intense pressure, but they had to settle for a losing bonus point and a four-try bonus point while the Knight picked up five points after they also scored four tries.

Cross Keys: Geraint Rhys Jones, Ashton Hewitt, Leon Andrews (capt), Barney Nightingale, Polu Uhi, Dorian Jones (James Cordy-Redden 70), Luc Jones (James Leadbeater 56), Phil Price (Luke Garrett 41), Rhys Buckley (Darren Hughes 69), David Young, Danny Hodge, Simon Williams, Josh Skinner (Reuben Tucker 45), Ollie Griffiths, Adam Powell

Replacements: Alex Jefferies, Harrison Keddie,

Cross Keys scorers: Tries – Leon Andrews (2), Polu Uhi (21), Barney Nightingale (43), James Cordy-Redden (74), Conversions – Dorian Jones (2) (43), Geraint Rhys Jones (74), Penalties – D Jones (7) (45)

Doncaster Knights: Paul Jarvis, Dougie Flockhart, Mat Clark, Bevon Armitage, Andy Bulumakau, Paul Roberts, Bruno Bravo (Tomasi Palu 53), Tom Davies (Richard List 74), Jack Bergmanas (Ben Hunter 60), Ross Davies (Colin Quigley 70), Glen Kenworthy (Matt Challinor 45, Tyler Hotson, Latu Makaafi, Will Foden (capt) (Michael Hills 60), Phil Eggleshaw.

Replacement: Jamie Lennard

Doncaster scorers: Tries – Mat Clark (11), Phil Eggleshaw (39), Michael Hills (65), Andy Bulumakau (68), Conversions – Dougie Flockhart (11) (39) (65) (68), Penalties – Flockhart (15) (20) (53)

Referee: Shaun Gallagher (IRFU)

Argus star man: Simon Williams