Local rivals Batley Bulldogs claim narrow victory against Rams in a game of two halves in front of the Premier Sports cameras at the Tetley’s Stadium.
After relegation to League One was confirmed on Sunday following Whitehaven’s victory over London, the Rams were playing only for pride and looking to hit back against Heavy Woollen rivals Batley Bulldogs, who last month trounced the Rams at the Summer Bash.
The Rams started the game immensely putting Batley under serious pressure in the opening minutes and this paid off when Adam Ryder broke down the Batley left and passed to Paul Sykes who then fed Jake Sweeting to the score the opening try of the evening.
Sykes’ conversion gave the Rams a six-point advantage which was doubled in the twelfth minute as stand-in Captain, Reiss Butterworth scooted brilliantly from dummy-half to score his fourth of the season. The Rams then went further in front through a Paul Sykes penalty goal which was awarded for an offside.
Batley then started to show why they are worthy of their position in the league, some quick work down their left gave Dane Manning the opportunity to cut through the Rams’ defence to bring the Bulldogs to within eight.
Then as the half was coming to an end Paul Sykes collected his own high ball which had been spilt by the Batley defender to score his second try of the season and with the conversion gave the Rams a fourteen-point half-time lead.
Batley, knowing that the first score in the second half was going to be crucial, applied some heavy pressure to the Rams line, which eventually told when George Senior went over ten minutes into the second half.
Then came another incident which was to turn the game further in the visitors’ favour. Paul Sykes was shown a yellow card, after a skirmish between the two sides, for a high shot on ex-Ram Dale Morton. Batley and more specifically Morton would then take advantage of the extra man with two tries, one converted, to give the Bulldogs a two-point lead, which they would see out to claim their third Heavy Woollen league victory of the season.
After the game, Rams Head Coach Liam Finn said “I thought the commitment from the boys today was outstanding and we need to continue to show that level throughout all training sessions and matches going forward. We need to learn how to win those close battles which is something that will hopefully improve as we find ourselves in more pressurised situations.”
Another tricky test awaits us this Sunday 4th September (15:00), as we travel to Cumbria to play Barrow Raiders.
Dewsbury Rams (20): McGowan, Carr, Greensmith, Ryder, Dixon, Sykes, Sweeting, Beckett, Butterworth, Ferguson, Davies, Graham, Mathiou.
Interchanges: Walker, Stevens, Kirby, Knowles
Tries: Sweeting (6’), Butterworth (12’), Sykes (37’)
Conversions: Sykes (3/3)
Penalty Goal: Sykes (20’)
Batley Bulldogs (22): Hooley, Morton, Senior, Buchanan, Campbell, White, Gilmore, Gledhill, Burton, Brown, Manning, Walshaw, Reilly.
Interchanges: Meadows, Lillycrop, Flynn, Collinson.
Tries: Manning (29’), Senior (50’), Morton (58’, 67’)
Conversions: Gilmore (3/4)
Attendance: 1307
Rams Man of the Match: Reiss Butterworth
