Match Report | Batley Bulldogs 31-18 Sheffield Eagles
02/06/2024
Batley Bulldogs produced a second-half comeback to defeat the Eagles 31-18 earlier this afternoon at the Fox’s Biscuits Stadium.
Sheffield edged themselves 4-18 ahead at the break, but Mark Moxon’s side scored 27 unanswered points in the second half to earn themselves a second successive win in the Betfred Championship.
For the trip across to West Yorkshire, Aston made five changes as Ben Jones-Bishop, Bayley Liu, Anthony Thackeray, Tyler Dickinson and Evan Hodgson all came back into the starting thirteen.
Sheffield took the lead after only three minutes as James Glover found some space in the Batley defence and charged his way through to the try-line on the left-hand side, before Jack Hansen created a six-point gap between the two sides with a successful conversion.
Batley hit back to score their first try of the afternoon in the 19th minute as Luke Hooley spotted a gap out wide to pull the score back to a two-point game.
Joel Farrell crashed over to extend our lead further immediately after, before a breakaway try from Matty Dawson-Jones on the hooter saw us edge further ahead, with the aid of two more successful conversions from Hansen handing us a 4-18 lead at the break.
The hosts worked their way back into the contest seven minutes after the restart as Dale Morton’s ball back towards Lucas Walshaw in the air created an opening for the Batley second rower to score.
Michael Ward managed to get the ball down under the sticks in the 54th minute as the hosts scored another early try in the second half, before Josh Woods’ successful kick closed the score down to only a two-point gap.
After Woods added a penalty 40m out on the hour mark, the hosts then edged themselves in front through another Walshaw finish as he raced away to score underneath the posts.
Luke Hooley added a drop goal eight minutes from time for the hosts, before Dane Manning ensured the hosts were victorious as he grounded the ball just left of the sticks with a minute to go, ensuring Batley secured a 31-18 victory against the Eagles.
Next weekend sees Sheffield Eagles travel down to the capital to take on Wakefield Trinity in the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup Final at Wembley Stadium next Saturday evening (5:45pm).
Batley Bulldogs: Hooley, Morton, Senior, Buchannan, Burton, White, Woods, Gledhill, Moore, Cooper, Manninh, Walshaw, Mustapha
Interchanges: Leak, Flynn, Ward, Hill
Tries: Hooley (19’), Walshaw (47’, 67’), Ward (54’), Manning (79’)
Conversions: Woods (5/6)
Drop Goal: Hooley (72’)
Sheffield Eagles: Marsh, Jones-Bishop, Liu, Glover, Dawson-Jones, Hansen, Thackeray, Battye, Dickinson, Bower, J.Farrell, Hodgson
Interchanges: Clark, Murphy, Wood, Sene-Lefao
18th Man: Millar
Tries: Glover (3’), J.Farrell (24’), Dawson-Jones (40’)
Conversions: Hansen (3/3)
Referee: C.Worsley
Attendance: 983
