Whitehaven's play-off prospects are hanging by a thread after Carl Forster’s weary troops were out-muscled by their promotion rivals.

Haven have done outstandingly well to be so competitive and in contention all season, but the effort with a depleted squad, several of whom have been carrying knocks, has taken its toll.

Those weary reactions were particularly evident in the closing quarter of an intriguing game after Whitehaven had hauled themselves right back into the contest.

Jason Mossop had just scored to close the gap to three points with nine minutes left, when Dion Aiye made an uncharacteristic fumble of the restart kick to allow Doncaster to regain possession and build pressure again.

That eventually resulted in a clinching try on 74 minutes which wrapped up the victory for the visitors and makes them favourites to make the play-offs.

But with defeats also for Oldham and Hunslet, Haven are not yet out of contention although the tired and damaged bodies after this latest effort suggest that it is going to be very hard to see it through to a successful conclusion.

Doncaster had made the better start but it was Whitehaven who got the first points on the board from a Dan Abram penalty.

But the first try on 20 minutes went to the visitors – at a time when Haven had been pressing strongly on the Doncaster line. A kick on last tackle from Abram went straight to full-back Hakim Miloudi who immediately saw space in front of him and got clear.

It was a foot race now and although Callum Phillips tried to peg back the start he had given his opponent Miloudi made the line in the corner to edge his side ahead.

Scott McAvoy, a stalwart for Haven over more than ten years, produced a trademark shimmy near the line to plough on past the last defender and put Whitehaven ahead on 28 minutes. Abram converted.

The game, a hard, physical encounter for the most part, was proving to be end-to-end entertainment and on 35 minutes Doncaster took the lead again.

Whitehaven were caught short in defence as substitute Connor Bower finished off after good work from Matt Beharrell who added the conversion.

But a second penalty from Abram on 38 minutes seemed to have sent the two teams in at the break on terms.

The hooter had, in fact, sounded when Doncaster scored again. Play was allowed to continue with the Dons in possession and a kick ahead was pursued by both Dave Thompson and Jack Logan.

It was neck-and-neck and when one of them got a boot to the ball it flew over the Haven try-line and Logan won the final race to the touchdown. Beharrell added the conversion for a 16-10 lead at the break.

Both teams were reduced to 12 players with Steve Roper and Jack Sanderson spending time in the bin in separate incidents and the score stayed that way until the 55th minute when Miloudi took out some insurance with an easy short-range field-goal.

Forster almost got over for Haven and only desperate home defence denied Bower as he almost got in at the corner.

The game, however, was back on a knife edge on 71 minutes when Mossop charged for the line after Haven had moved the ball to the left and he took two defenders over with him. Abram missed the kick.

Unfortunately, Aiye fumbled the restart and Doncaster eventually got in for the clinching try – fittingly created by Jez Litten and finished off by Bradley England, their two outstanding players. Beharrell converted.