BATLEY BULLDOGS 24 SHEFFIELD EAGLES 14
KEITH McGHIE, Fox’s Biscuits Stadium, Sunday
THIS CLASH of two clubs battling to stave off potential relegation was always likely to be a tale of two coaches and newly re-appointed John Kear emerged the happier after Batley defied gravity for a vital victory.
Kear, returning to the side he coached from 2011 until 2016, watched from just above the dug-out as the side he has been put back in temporary charge of fought back from 14-0 down to snatch a victory in the final ten minutes.
Having conceded two converted tries and a penalty in the opening half-hour, the Bulldogs achieved the rare feat of nilling their opponents while climbing up the notorious Mount Pleasant slope.
Craig Lingard, who shared the coaching duties at Batley with Kear for four years before having five seasons at the helm himself, could only look on with increasing frustration as the Eagles struggled to match their hosts, even with the benefit of the gradient.
Batley’s first win in nine matches condemned Sheffield to a fourth defeat in five.
The Bulldogs included on-loan from Bradford duo Bailey Liu and Kieran Gill, the latter crowning a fine debut with two well-taken tries.
Lingard was denied the services of Oliver Roberts, who was suspended for one match, but was able to bring Evan Hodgson back off the bench.
Woods kicked an early 40/20 before stabbing a dangerous kick, which was unsuccessfully chased by Lucas Walshaw.
Seconds later Jayden Billy got clear down the right and enabled Kris Welham to spin out of a potential tackle and go behind the posts.
Gill went close near the corner; Brandon Moore was held up in centre field and Matt Dawson-Jones was brilliantly held up by Robbie Butterworth near the corner flag.
Just afterwards Hodson extended the Steel City side’s lead through a penalty.
A brief heat-initiated drinks break followed, before a charging Titus Gwaze try, just beside the posts, helped the Eagles to a three-score lead going up the Mount Pleasant slope.
Five minutes before the break Batley finally got onto the scoreboard when a long pass from Woods enabled Gill to squeeze over for a debut try.
Almost immediately Ben White created a touchdown out of nothing and, with Woods converting both, there was suddenly just two points in it and Kear noted: “They went into the changing room and you could tell their confidence was up.”
After the restart, a catastrophic handling error fielding a high kick enabled Alex Foster to touch down and seemingly arrest the Bulldogs’ momentum, but after consulting with his assistant, referee Aaryn Golding-Belafonte ruled the try out.
As the game progressed, the hosts claimed as much territory as their opponents and Batley gained further advantage when Foster was sin-binned after a high tackle on Ollie Greensmith.
Each side traded sets under the now intense sun with the Bulldogs marginally the more threatening while keeping the Eagles well up the hill.
Finally, eight minutes from the end and at the end of a set, Ben White’s kick was patted back for the always hard-running Walshaw to force his way over and give the Bulldogs the lead for the first time.
Woods and quick hands from Robbie Butterworth to Gill created a match-sealing try and secured a fine comeback for Batley, leaving Lingard frustrated about the way the Eagles, without Roberts and still minus Cory Aston, had approached the game.
GAMESTAR: Josh Woods, from his early 40/20 to his 100 percent goal-kicking, created Batley’s best moments.
GAMEBREAKER: Kieran Gill’s second try clinched a memorable and confidence-boosting comeback.
MATCHFACTS
BULLDOGS
1 Robbie Butterworth
– Bayley Liu
33 Kieran Gill
3 Ollie Greensmith
2 Joe Burton
6 Ben White
7 Josh Woods
13 James Brown
14 Brandon Moore
10 Luke Cooper
12 Lucas Walshaw
11 Dane Manning
17 Luke Blake
Subs (all used)
8 Adam Gledhill
9 Alistair Leak
31 Noah High
18 Nyle Flynn
Tries: Gill (35, 76), White (38), Walshaw (72)
Goals: Woods 4/4
EAGLES
26 Jack Walker
25 Jayden Billy
3 Kris Welham
33 Josh Hodson
5 Matty Dawson-Jones
9 Corey Johnson
31 Jenson Windley
8 Eddie Battye
14 Reiss Butterworth
16 Blake Broadbent
12 Joel Farrell
23 Alex Foster
13 Titus Gwaze
Subs (all used)
15 Evan Hodgson
30 Martyn Reilly
36 Jack Billington
20 Lewis Peachey
Tries: Welham (7), Gwaze (30)
Goals: Hodson 3/3
Sin bin: Foster (60) – reckless tackle
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-8, 0-14, 6-14, 12-14; 18-14, 24-14
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Bulldogs: Josh Woods; Eagles: Joel Farrell
Penalty count: 5-5
Half-time: 12-14
Referee: Aaryn Belafonte