BATLEY BULLDOGS 4 FEATHERSTONE ROVERS 18
ROB WALLACE, Fox’s Biscuits Stadium, Sunday
FEATHERSTONE claimed a second successive victory and fourth in five on the back of an excellent defensive display which restricted Batley to just one score.
With Oldham’s defeat at York, the two points moved Rovers to within two of the Roughyeds in the race for the play-offs.
Ben Reynolds starred for Featherstone, creating all three tries and kicking three goals in testing conditions.
The first half was a nip-and-tuck affair, both teams having promising opportunities only to be prevented from scoring by a loose pass, knock-on or outstanding defence.
The Bulldogs ran up the hill in the opening half and often found it a struggle to reach halfway, especially with a strong wind in their faces.
Even so, Batley started the more promising of the two sides, putting pressure on the Featherstone line, with a pass into touch rather than finding its intended target preventing the home side from notching.
Featherstone thought they had scored in the 13th minute, but James Beckett’s offload to Reynolds was ruled forward, preventing the halfback from touching down between the posts.
Featherstone again offered a threat short of the half hour, but solid left-edge Batley defence shut down the threat,
The visitors did open the scoring seven minutes from the break, when a sustained period of pressure on the Batley line led to them succumbing.
Reynolds feigned then passed out the back to Caleb Aekins, who raced over without a hand being laid on him. Reynolds added the conversion.
Momentum was with Featherstone down the slope and a high Reynolds kick to the left was claimed by Clay Webb, who managed to reach out and touch down to score as the hooter sounded. Reynolds goaled for 12-0.
The second half matched the first in terms of both sides having opportunities to register scores, solid Featherstone defence holding out Lucas Walshaw and Dane Manning while after a misplaced pass to King Vuniyayawa, the Fiji international lost possession.
On the back of that error, Batley marched down the slope and while Ben White’s kick looked to be out of reach for the chasing Manning, the ball bounced off the legs of a Featherstone defender and he won the race to touch down the loose ball and so register his 100th career try. White missed the conversion attempt.
With nine minutes remaining, a Reynolds kick to the in-goal was not picked up by the Batley defenders and just as the ball looked to be drifting out of play, Ryan Hampshire managed to reach out an arm and touch it down. Reynolds added the simple conversion from in front of the posts.
GAMESTAR: Ben Reynolds had a hand in everything Featherstone did in attack and was faultless with the boot in testing conditions.
GAMEBREAKER: Ryan Hampshire’s try nine minutes from time gave Rovers a 14-point lead which they were never going to relinquish.
MATCHFACTS
BULLDOGS
34 Aidan McGowan
2 Joe Burton
5 Elliot Kear
3 Ollie Greensmith
19 Jack Render
6 Ben White
33 Tyran Ott
17 Luke Blake
9 Alistair Leak
10 Luke Cooper
12 Lucas Walshaw
11 Dane Manning
14 Brandon Moore
Subs (all used)
15 Nyle Flynn
1 Robbie Butterworth
35 Jack Billington
– Emmanuel Waine
Tries: Manning (65)
Goals: White 0/1
ROVERS
1 Caleb Aekins
23 Connor Wynne
5 Gareth Gale
29 James Glover
2 Derrell Olpherts
28 Ryan Hampshire
6 Ben Reynolds
8 Gadwin Springer
9 Will Jubb
10 James Beckett
11 Brad Day
17 Clay Webb
13 Danny Addy
Subs (all used)
14 Connor Jones
37 Nathan Wilde
16 King Vuniyayawa
15 Sitaleki Akauola
Tries: Aekins (33), Webb (40), Hampshire (71)
Goals: Reynolds 3/3
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-12; 4-12, 4-18
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Bulldogs: Dane Manning; Rovers: Ben Reynolds
Penalty count: 4-1
Half-time: 0-12
Referee: Matty Lynn
Attendance: 1,884