FORUMS FORUMS






RLFANS.COM
Celebrating
25 years service to
the Rugby League
Community!

  

It was the match of the B’s as fourth placed Batley Bulldogs faced a Bradford Bulls who finished the regular season in fifth as they met in the first Championship Play-off Eliminator at the Fox’s Biscuit Stadium at Mount Pleasant with a semi-final place on offer for the winners.

The Bulldogs are many people’s surprise package to be in the play-off but are good value after finishing the regular season in fourth place but the Bulls won the only meeting between the two sides earlier in the season as well as both meetings in the 2019 season.

Neither side came into the game on the back of good form, but the bookies made the Bulls slight favourites to make progress.

Kicking down the slope, Batley took the lead on five minutes after Tom Gilmore kicked a twenty-metre penalty after an error by Danny Brough. The Bulls went close on thirteen through Rhys Evans, but he was held up short by an enthusiastic Bulldogs defence.

A fantastic Gilmore 40-20 on fifteen took the home side to withing twelve of the Bulls line and on the second tackle Ben Kaye snatched the opening try of the game with a scoot from dummy half. Gilmore added the conversion to stretch the lead to eight points.

It was clear that Batley meant business and obvious that the Bulls didn’t deserve the favourites tag on the evidence of the opening twenty minutes.

A tip tackle gifted Gilmore another penalty goal on thirty-three as the Bulls tried desperately to force an error and get back into the game. Within a minute the Bulldogs were in again, this time Gilmore being on hand to take a pass in an acre of space and canter twenty metres to score by the right upright. The Bulldogs were easing towards a famous victory.

Batley came within a hairs breadth of opening their second half account within the first sixty seconds, but Jordan Lilley managed to pat the ball dead in touch.

George Flanagan went close for the Bulls on fifty-one as they started to get some possession inside the Batley twenty against a tiring defence. Two minutes later and the Bulls were in when Joe Brown finished of a run from Evans as he was on hand to take the pass twelve out and fend off the tackle of Greg Johnson to dove in at the corner. Danny Brough was unable to add the extras, the Bulls 4-16 behind.

On sixty-one Flanagan crashed the Batley line but excellent defence from an aggressive defence prevented him from grounding the ball. But on sixty-four Lilley pounced on a Brough grubber to take the ball one-handed and ground by the post pas. Brough added the goal to reduce the margin to just one converted try with fourteen minutes remaining.

The Bulls were now in the ascendancy against an increasingly tired Bulldogs.

Lucas Walshaw knocked on a Kear grubber to put the Bulldogs under even more pressure and on the second play of the resulting six the Bulls were held up over the line.

On seventy-three Elliot Hall calmed Batley nerves when he stumbled out of a Kear tackle and managed to get the ball onto the line for the third Bulldogs try of the game. Gilmore converted from the touchline for a 22-10 lead, Batley easing into next week’s elimination semi-finals.

Gilmore added a drop goal on seventy-seven to seal the win as the Bulls heads dropped, realising it was now too far for them to battle back.

The Bulls ended a season which started with so much hope, on the back of four consecutive losses while the Batley Bulldogs progress on to next week and a game against either Toulouse Olympique or Featherstone Rovers for a place in the Million Pound Game and promotion to Super League. Batley are likely to be the rank outsiders for the spot in the top level, but no-one can take anything away from a brilliant performance in eliminating the Bradford Bulls.

Batley Bulldogs:  Hooley, Campbell, Morton, Buchanan, Johnson, White, Gilmore (T, 5G), Brown, Kaye (T), Blagbrough, Walshaw, Manning, Flynn. Subs: Leak, Ward, Lillycrop, Hall (T).

Bradford Bulls: Kear, Brown (T), Evans, Oakes, Foggin-Johnson, Brough (G), Lilley (T), Evans, Doyle, Crossley, Rooks, Murphy, Hallas. Subs:  Flanagan, Walker, Scurr, Fleming.

Half-Time: 16-0.

Full-Time: 22-10.

Referee:  James Child.

Score Progression: 2-0, 6-0, 8-0, 10-0, 14-0, 16-0 : HT : 16-4, 16-8, 16-10, 20-10, 22-10 : FT.



facebook sharing button
twitter sharing button
pinterest sharing button
email sharing button
sharethis sharing button


Posted by RLFANS News Hound on Sat 25th Sep 2021 5:03 PM | Views : 35039 | Replies : 0 | BACK TO STORIES
RLFANS Recent Posts
FORUM
LAST
POST
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
Recent
Smith - should he stay or should he go
weaver93
359
Recent
TV games not Wire
rubber ducki
2864
Recent
The Good Friday Derby Massacre
Tarquin Fueg
139
Recent
Ky Rodwell
Spookisback
109
FORUM
LAST
VIEW
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
23s
BORED The Band Name Game
Boss Hog
56011
48s
Rd 6 I Cas A
Jack Burton
109
51s
No grade A for 2025 for Trinity
PopTart
27
1m
Smith out ASAP
Backwoodsman
138
1m
Smith - should he stay or should he go
weaver93
359
1m
Ky Rodwell
Spookisback
109
2m
Wigan v Sts discussion - THIS THREAD ONLY PLEASE
RobRiches
1934
2m
2024 Southstandercom Prediction Competition Week 6
rhinosTY
36
2m
Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4
Jack Burton
8703
3m
TV Games - Not Hull
Chris71
1385
FORUM
NEW
TOPICS
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
TODAY
Another Tigers Defeat As Rhinos Go Level Top
RLFANS News
1
TODAY
York - 14th April
Spookisback
10
TODAY
Stats article
Sir Gregory
5
TODAY
21 man Squads - Devils v Leopards
Cokey
4
TODAY
Squad for Catalan
Smiffy27
17
TODAY
The Wigan Way - New Podcast - Chairman Special
Jukesays
1
TODAY
Dons v Swinton Lions 30 June 2024
Wanderer
1
TODAY
Squad for Sheffield
AdamH
1
TODAY
London Away
Fartown58
1
TODAY
The Bulls away
terry silver
9
TODAY
The official Leon Hayes Thread
Smiffy27
18
TODAY
Saints a
WWste
23
TODAY
Leon Ruan signs on loan
Jemmo
2
TODAY
Wardle
Jo Jumbuck
3
TODAY
Huddersfield - Home
Fartown58
6
TODAY
Max Wood on loan to Bradford 2 weeks
rubber ducki
7
TODAY
Jake Wardle 5 Year deal
Zig
22
TODAY
No grade A for 2025 for Trinity
PopTart
27
TODAY
Cup Quarter Final TV Arrangements
RLFANS News
1
NEWS ITEMS
VIEWS
Another Tigers Defeat As Rhino..
133
Cup Quarter Final TV Arrangeme..
553
2024 Challenge Cup Quarter Fin..
677
Easy Does It For The Dragons A..
586
Warrington Demolish London For..
691
Leigh Leopards Beat Plucky Fea..
742
Saints Triumph Over Disappoint..
720
Easy Win for the Wolves Over L..
958
Dragons Condemn Castleford To ..
928
Leigh Leopards Secure First Po..
1075
St Helens Tame The Rhinos To W..
1047
Wigan Warriors Come From Behin..
1113
Betfred Championship and Leagu..
1086
2024 Challenge Cup Sixth Round..
3869
Featherstone Win Extra Time Cu..
1205
RLFANS Match Centre
Matches on TV
Table 'boards.stats_fixtures' doesn't exist