Liam Finn’s new look Rams side were beaten in a brave performance in the Spinners Fisheries Heavy Woollen Derby, succumbing to defeat against Batley Bulldogs, after holding a half-time advantage and threatening a comeback mid-way through the second period.
11 players made their debuts for Dewsbury, including Matt Garside and Elliot Morris, who previously played for the Rams on loan, plus Sam Day, who was making a return to the club following a spell out of the pro game.
The visitors played down the slope in the first half at an – initially! – sunny Fox’s Biscuits Stadium and competed well during the early sets, but a penalty concession on a fourth tackle allowed the Bulldogs to move upfield and swing the ball left to prise open the gap for Ben White to coast through.
Josh Woods pulled his conversion attempt from the left touchline in front of the posts, restricting the hosts’ lead to four, and the Rams were able to rally after going behind, building pressure in attack and asking questions of their hosts.
A smart grubber from Owen Restall forced former Ram Dale Morton to run the ball dead, and on the next set the Rams were level. George Collins’ kick ricocheted off a Batley man and into the arms of Matt Garside, who dotted down.
Calum Turner added the goal from mid-way out on the right to give the Rams a 6-4 lead with just under half of the first period played and the visitors continued to turn the screw, forcing repeat sets and earning the territory for Ollie Greensmith to power his way over for the visitors’ second.
Turner was unable to convert from out on the left, and this time it was the hosts’ turn to dial up the intensity. But the Rams were up to the pressure and held their line intact.
There was danger when Jonny Campbell broke from a tap 20 and raced away, but the chasing Rams defenders were able to run the veteran winger down up the Mount Pleasant slope, ultimately forcing the error.
The Bulldogs thought they were in for a levelling score when Aidan McGowan crossed, but play was pulled back for an obstruction, before James Meadows was held up over the line and Campbell was denied due to a forward pass.
The visitors finished the half on the attack but were unable to extend their lead before half-time arrived, and it would take just minutes of the second period for the Bulldogs to narrow the gap as Josh Hodson got onto the end of Meadows’ cute grubber.
Woods was unable to add the extras, preserving an 8-10 lead for Finn’s men.
But any fears that the Rams were about to lie down for their hosts were dispelled when Morris produced a monster shot in midfield to force an error from Michael Ward and leave the Bulldogs prop prone on all fours.
The Rams built momentum when Turner’s grubber kick forced a drop-out, but it was the hosts who’d take the lead when Tom Lillycrop spotted a gap in the visitors’ defensive line and had enough in the tank to carry the ball over the line.
Dale Morton added the goal to make it 14-10 with 55 minutes played and the hosts went back-to-back to extend their advantage, when a late offload from Keegan Hirst laid a platform for Meadows to find Campbell with a cut-out pass on the left wing.
Morton’s goal put ten points between the sides, but the visitors had hope when Lewis Carr showed incredible pace up the hill to beat the chasing Batley defenders following a speculative kick from broken play on the last tackle.
Turner’s superb goal, in rapidly deteriorating conditions at The Fox’s Biscuits Stadium, made it 20-16 with just over 15 minutes on the clock, but the Bulldogs’ stranglehold on the contest was quickly renewed when a delayed short ball from Meadows sent Morton over.
The former Ram converted his own try to restore Batley’s ten-point lead as the game approached the closing stages, and Meadows was at it again moments later, collecting his own chip before feeding Nyle Flynn, who crashed over next to the posts.
Morton again converted to kill the game as a contest, but the Rams rallied in the final stages to prevent further home points, and had pressure of their own, earning the opportunity for Turner to show some neat soccer skills and dot down to reduce the arrears.
His goal brought proceedings to a close as the Bulldogs took the derby spoils on an encouraging day for the Rams ahead of their 2023 campaign.
Batley Bulldogs (32): McGowan, Morton, Hodson, White, Campbell, Meadows, Woods, Hirst, Kaye, Brown, Flynn, Walshaw, Reilly
Interchanges: Johnson, Blake, Gledhill, Leak, Richardson, Lillycrop, Ward
Tries: White (5′), Hodgson (43′), Lilycrop (55′), Morton (68′), Flynn (70′)
Conversions: Woods (0/2), Morton (4/4)
Dewsbury Rams (22): Restall, Carr, Graham, Greensmith, Whiteley, Collins, Turner, Beckett, Butterworth, Dixon, Garside, Davies, Collinson
Interchanges: Morris, Coventry, Walker, Wilkinson, Day, Jordan, Littlewood
Tries: Garside (14′), Greensmith (20′), Carr (63′), Turner (80′)
Conversions: Turner (3/4)
Half-time: 4-10
