Doncaster 31 Pertemps Bees 27
If Doncaster's matchday programme could be believed, Santa Claus was sponsoring this clash between two sides too close to the drop zone for their liking.
And the season of goodwill was certainly in evidence on the pitch in South Yorkshire as the Bees players seemed intent on handing their hosts an early Christmas present - a victory to ease their relegation woes.
Christmas dinners were being dished up in the Castle Park clubhouse and there was a whole team of turkeys on show out on the pitch as the Bees huffed and puffed their way around.
Two penalties were all they had to show for a dire display that saw them threaten just once in the opening 75 minutes, winger Nick Baxter being denied by a crunching Nick Wakley tackle.
The fact that the Bees only came to life in the final minutes, bagging three tries to put their hosts under late pressure, did little to raise the spirits of Phil Maynard.
The bemused director of rugby admitted: "There were long periods where the players just didn't look interested - it is very hard and an odd attitude from the players.
"We are finishing games stronger than everyone, so fitness isn't a problem, but when the gloves were off and we decided to play, we clearly looked the better side.
"This has been the trend all season. Last week, we blew Newbury away for 20 minutes and then we just stopped playing again. We have to do it for the whole game, not just for ten or 15 minutes."
Fly-half Ryan Lamb kicked a penalty after just two minutes, but had to wait another 50 before doubling his side's tally.
Doncaster, meanwhile, were totting up the points at the other end through four Rob Liley penalties and a try apiece from Johannes van Denberg and Steven Boden.
But just as the Yorkshire side looked ready to accept their early Christmas gift, the Bees threatened to snatch it away with three tries in ten minutes.
The Castle Park side had been knocked backwards when the inspirational Liley was carried off midway through the second half. The evergreen fly-half was making his first start of the season after recovering from a broken ankle picked up in pre-season.
Bees' replacement Tim Walsh was first to go over the line after 76 minutes and Baxter edged to within one of his 150th league try four minutes later.
Donavan van Vuuren scored in the corner for Doncaster with the game in injury time and this proved vital for the hosts as Tom Beim claimed Bees' third try moments later to close the margin to four.
"We have a tiny, tiny squad but we are making a fist of it," said Maynard. "We have another point away - that's eight points from the last four games, two points per game - so that's not bad and I think that will be enough to keep us up. If we carry on like that, we will finish halfway."
