Outstanding Bulldogs crush Leigh
Batley Bulldogs new logo October 2011
BATLEY Bulldogs produced an outstanding display on Sunday to crush Leigh Centurions 42-20 at Mount Pleasant.
Batley recovered from the set backs of conceding two early tries to outclass Leigh and register victory, which saw them move up to joint second in the Co-operative Championship.
Adam Clay was on the end of a sweeping move to dive over for a ninth minute try on his Centurions debut and it appeared as though it would be a long afternoon for the Bulldogs when scrum half Ryan Brierley sliced through a gap to extend Leigh’s lead to 8-0.
However, Batley kept their composure and began to get back into the game, led by superb displays from half-backs Ben Black and Gareth Moore.
Hooker Paul Mennell got the Bulldogs up and running when he stretched over from acting half-back after 24 minutes and Moore landed the conversion.
Just four minutes later Black produced a lovely short pass to send Adam Scott over straight after coming off the bench and Moore again goaled.
Batley were dominating and they added two further tries just before half-time to take a stranglehold on the game.
Moore moved play left and after producing a neat sidestep, he sent Gareth Potts over for a Moore converted try.
Black then produced a lovely pass to Potts, who skipped out of a tackle and raced over for Batley’s fourth try. Moore’s conversion stretched the half-time lead to 24-8.
Moore edged Batley further in front with a penalty goal early in the second half before Leigh tried to mount a fightback.
Martyn Ridyard offloaded to send Andy Thornley over for a try, which Ridyard improved and after Batley were penalised for holding down, Leigh came again and Dean McGilvray crossed wide on the left, with Ridyard’s conversion reducing the arrears to 26-20.
Batley responded well and when Clay lost possession, Moore reacted first to gather and gallop up the slope to dive over in the left corner.
Batley survived a couple of scares as Greg McNally looked to have sent centre Matt Gardner over wide out but he was brought back for a forward pass and from a similar position, McNally then threw the ball into touch.
The Bulldogs responded in style and ensured Leigh left without a bonus point as they scored two further tries in the closing minutes.
Black raced upfield and broke free from a tackle before drawing the full-back and sending Mark Applegarth racing between the posts, with Moore adding the simple goal.
Two minutes from time, Moore kicked through and as the Leigh defence hesitated, Johnny Campbell nipped in to collect it and race over, with Moore landing his seventh goal.
Leigh’s misery was completed in injury time when Stuart Littler was sin-binned for interference at the play the ball.
Batley Bulldogs: Campbell; Potts, Walton, Maun, Brown; Black, Moore; Smith, Mennell, Green, Bretherton, Applegarth, Lindsay. Subs (all used): Wildie, Hirst, Walmsley, Scott.
Leigh Centurions: McNally; Clay, Littler, Gardner, McGilvray; Ridyard, Brierley; Ostick, Beswick, Parker, Thornley, Henderson, Briscoe. Subs (all used): Robson, Hopkins, Nicholson, Gallagher.
Referee: George Stokes.
Attendance: 1,003.
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Friday 24 May 2013
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