Full-back Luke Arscott put in a man-of-the match performance

Bristol lost their 100% away record in the Championship with a disappointing defeat to Doncaster Knights.

Bristol started well and were 8-0 up after 12 minutes, but a lack of concentration helped the Knights to two tries and a 20-11 half-time lead.

A second-half try from Dan Norton took Bristol to within four points at one stage, but they failed to convert a last-minute overlap to take the points.

"It's a game we should have won," head coach Paul Hull told BBC Radio Bristol.

"We dominated the first 20-25 minutes, had great field position and should have scored a few tries - not just one.

"The game was lost for me towards the end of the first half, during a ten-minute spell, when they scored two tries," added Hull.

"Their players and their supporters around us were actually surprised they were still in the game, let alone that they took an advantage."

Bristol had opened the scoring on seven minutes when hooker Ross Johnston broke away from a maul to touch down.

I know we've said it before but the players really have to learn how tough this league is Paul Hull

They kept their lead until the half-hour mark when Doncaster easily pierced the Bristol defence for fly-half Ali Warnock to touch down and convert his own try.

Two minutes before half-time the Knights extended their lead when they ran the length of the pitch from a restart for former Bristol scrum-half, Chris Hallam, to score under the posts.

It was a bruising encounter for Bristol, who lost hooker Ross Johnston and flanker Redford Pennycook in the second-half, and spent much of it pegged bag in their own 22.

And despite Bristol's best efforts to reduce the deficit with two Jarvis penalties, Doncaster maintained their momentum with two drop-goals, one from just inside the half-way line from full-back Steve McColl.

A second Bristol try from winger Dan Norton, who ran 60m down the left wing, brought the away side within touching distance of a win but Doncaster's defence held firm.

Hull added: "We've got to show a bit more composure. We knocked on the door a few times but just couldn't get that breakthrough.

"We're bitterly disappointed and have to learn from this. I know we've said it before but the players really have to learn how tough this league is."

Doncaster Knights: S McColl ,A Wright, B Armitage, H Tonga'uiha, E Styles, A Warnock, C Hallam,S Corsar, S Lawrie(c), N Tau, B Griffiths, G Townson, A Kettle, S Grainger, A Boyd. Replacements : M Cusack, T Toke, D Smith, S Bowden, M D'Arcy, C Briers, B Davey.

Bristol Rugby: L Arscott; T Arscott, J Adams, L Eves, D Norton, A Jarvis, J Spice (c); A Clarke, R Johnson, D Crompton, J Phillips, R Winters, I Grieves, R Pennycook, D Montagu. Replacements :O Hayes, W Thompson, M Irish, M Sambucetti, J Merriman, R Shaw, J Fatialofa

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