Batley Bulldogs 18 Featherstone Rovers 24 With David Hobbs leaving at the start of the week, would the Featherstone players accept their own responsibility and produce the effort required in this six pointer. Lose today and a gap starts to open between the bottom teams and the middle of the table and we would be below it. In the end the spoils went to Featherstone and for the first time in the league this season the traveling band of supporters could drive home wearing a smile. Still some way to go but at least a move up the table. Rovers started the game playing up the Mount Pleasant slope and as the teams exchanged sets the only real action in the first five minutes was two enormous up and unders on the last by Batley, both excellently dealt with by Waine Pryce. Rovers nearly broke through on the ninth minute as Andy Kain was held just short but as the ball went to ground he tripped the defender who was attempting to retrieve it and the penalty kick gave the Bulldogs respite. Two more quick penalties, one for stripping the ball and another for a dangerous lift put Batley in the Rovers' twenty and they elected to take the points as Kevin King kicked the goal. The first quarter produced little further action and it was Batley who came closest to scoring as the second started when ex Featherstone favourite Francis Maloney chased his own kick through and only a lunging kick from Tiger put it dead in goal. Maloney himself received the drop out but on the next tackle, as Batley threatened the line, the ball was knocked on and Tommy Haughey swooped on the loose ball, made 50 metres in a jinking run before slipping the pass out to the supporting Andy Kane. From the tackle the ball found Loz Wildbore cutting though on the angle to score. Stuart converted and Rovers were in front for the first time. Both teams came close. Batley when a high kick to the corner was gathered by the winger but Waine Pryce was able to dislodge the ball in a one on one, then Rovers when a kick through by Kane was a yard short and Loz knocked on as he tried to pick up and drop over the line. It was Batley's turn to take the lead soon after when on the sixth tackle Maloney was able to get underneath the defence from acting half and score a try which this time was not improved upon by King. A good period for Rovers started as they drove up the hill and were making ground with every set. Something had to give and it did. After drives by Hesketh and Houston the ball came out to Tiger. His jinking run beat two of the defenders but eventually he was stopped, not though, before turning in the tackle and finding Loz coming in on a superb angle. There were still three defenders between him and the goal but he was able to carry them forward and reach out to plant the ball on the line. Stuart was unable to convert the points but once again Rovers were in front with little time to the half time hooter. Little time it might have been but it was enough for Batley. Having forced a knock on they kicked on the first to the same left corner that they had peppered all half and this time Pryce was just beaten to the ball by full back Ian Preece. King landed a good kick and the Bulldogs were back in front. Rovers did have one last chance in the half when a bone jarring hit from Sean Hesketh unshipped the ball and gave them possession in the Batley 20 but time beat them and when the hooter sounded they were two points behind. With the wind at their back and running down the slope Rovers came out confidently for the second half and threatened the line early but once again discipline let them down and back to back penalties gave Batley ground from which Ashley Lindsay was able to slice through the defence to score a try which King once again converted and Batley were two scores in front. Batley could have gone even further ahead soon after. A good move from right to left saw the left winger go into the corner only to be pulled back for a forward pass. Rovers were to close the gap soon after. Richard Blakeway seeing no way through on the left crabbed across the defence until finally giving the ball to Tiger. His miss pass continuing the move to the right found Andy Kirk in space and he crossed for a try which, with the wind rising, proved another miss for Stuart. Rovers had to survive three back to back sets as kicks through were carried dead but Batley could not breach the line even when Maloney did a dive worthy of Klinsman as he chipped through. This was to be the end of Batley's pressure. For the remainder of the game they had to defend waves of Rovers attack coming down the hill and were breached twice more. Rovers leveled the game when the ball went through hands across the park to the left. Andy Kain beat the line and as the winger came in to tackle him was able to twist and get the ball to Lee Lingard to race though. Preece covered across but Lee stepped inside him to score a try. No kick but Rovers were in the ascendancy. Both Handforth and Maloney tried to gain the lead with drop goals but were yards off line. The final score of the game came once again from a jinking run by Tiger. On the last tackle he avoided the charging defenders and managed to play football as he three times kicked the ball through and Kevin Eadie was able to drop onto it and score. This time Stuart was successful and the lead was six points. Batley tried a short kick off but Kevin Eadie again, was able to rise above much bigger players to snatch the ball down and give Rovers possession. Batley did have one last throw of the dice as they were given a scrum on their own twenty but as Crouthers moved wide to try to link up with Marns on the outside he was only able to throw the pass into touch. The hooter went before the scrum could be taken and Rovers had their first away league win of the season. Celtic in a fortnight but let's savour some points before we worry about that.
Half Time 12 - 10 Referee Mr G Hewer Scoring sequence 2-0, 2-4, 2-6, 6-6, 6-10, 10-10, 12-10, 16-10, 18-10, 18-14, Game breaker: A much better effort away from home than some of the team had shown in previous outings this year. Crowd 820 © 2008 Stuart Lonsdale Any comments (constructive criticism welcomed) or volunteers please email webmaster@featherstonerovers.net
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