Rams fall to narrow defeat against Bulldogs at Fox’s Biscuits Stadium.
After last week’s defeat against Widnes, the Rams made the short trip to the Fox’s Biscuits Stadium for another Heavy Woollen Derby against Batley Bulldogs.
Brandon Moore scored the opening points of the game for Batley just before the ten minute mark after he collected a high ball by Josh Woods that was spilt.
Dewsbury answered straight back though, a Calum Turner cross-field kick was collected by a leaping Brad Graham who fed Lewis Carr to score his third of the season in the corner.
Defending down the slope in the first half, the Rams had to do plenty of defending in the opening half hour and the Bulldogs persistence paid off when Ben White cut through a gap in the defence to score.
A Calum Turner penalty, awarded after Ronan Dixon was tipped in the tackle, got the Rams back to within six points on thirty five minutes.
Dewsbury would’ve been happy with their first half performance until the final few minutes, when Joe Burton intercepted a pass on his own twenty metre line and ran the remaining length of the field to score. To add further insult to injury, Josh Woods kicked a drop goal on the hooter to give the home side a thirteen point lead at the break.
The Rams needed a strong second half and produced possibly their best ten minutes of rugby all season to swing the game in their favour, firstly Brad Graham collected a high ball from Jacob Hookem and offloaded over his head for Lewis Carr to score his second brace in as many games.
Then Bailey O’Connor broke through the Batley line and fed Owen Restall to score his sixth of the season and bring the Rams back to within three points.
Dewsbury then took the lead after a sensational moment of magic from Reiss Butterworth. After scooting from dummy half from around thirty metres out, Butterworth ran round the Batley defence and in under the posts to score his first try since returning on loan from Hull KR.
However with less than fifteen minutes left the game swung back in Batley’s favour, Joe Burton squeezing over in the corner for his second of the afternoon to hand Batley the lead. Finally, with time running out Luke Hooley then scored to give the Bulldogs a seven-point-lead which the Rams wouldn’t be able to make up.
After the game Rams Head Coach Paul March said, “Where do I start with that? It’s a very tough one to take, I thought we did everything right in both halves, when we went behind we stuck to the plan and got ourselves back into the game, but it’s just that execution that’s let us down today.”
Our next game sees us travel to France to face Toulouse Olympique at the Stade Ernest-Wallon on Saturday 27th July in the Betfred Championship, with kick off at 17:00(UK)/ 18:00(FR).
Batley Bulldogs (29): Holley, Kear, Mitsias, Senior, Burton, White, Woods, Gledhill, Moore, Buchanan, Walshaw, Brown.
Interchanges: Burton, Flynn, Blake, Kibula.
Tries: Moore (9′), White (28′), Burton (37′, 68′), Hooley (75′)
Conversions: Woods (4/5)
Drop Goal: Woods (40′)
Dewsbury Rams (22): O’Connor, Carr, M.Walker, Graham, Restall, Turner, Hookem, Beckett, Butterworth, J.Walker, Ferguson, Garside, Collinson.
Interchanges: Whiteley, Dixon, Summers, Morris, Briggs (18th)
Tries: Carr (13′, 47′), Restall (53′), Butterworth (56′)
Conversions: Turner (2/4)
Penalty Goal: Turner (35′)
