Match Report – Swinton Lions 6-38 Batley Bulldogs

16 August 2021

Batley substitute Alistair Leak scored a hat-trick to help his side to an impressive victory over Swinton Lions in Round 17 of the Betfred Championship.

The home side were given a blow in the warm up when Sam Brooks pulled up and had to be replaced by Jordan Brown.

The Lions made a good start and forced a goal line drop out on six minutes, but Martyn Ridyard lost the ball in a good position with the Lions on the attack from the kick. However, Swinton did take the lead on nine minutes when Ridyard put a short kick for the line and Luis Roberts reacted quickest to dive on the rolling ball and Ridyard added the conversion from near the touchline.

After that the game settled and both sides had good chances before the Bulldogs opened their account on twenty-eight minutes when Jonny Campbell went over on the right but Tom Gilmore could not convert. Batley were in again seven minutes later when George Senior took three defenders with him to score in the corner with this time Gilmore adding a touchline conversion.

Leak was starting to make his mark in the closing minutes of the half and almost scored but knocked on just short of the line. As the half time hooter sounded Gilmore sent a nice kick towards the Lions line and Campbell this time was fastest to react beating the Lions defence to the rolling ball and Gilmore rubbed more salt in the Lions wounds by adding the conversion from the touchline.

The visitors continued at the start of the second half as they had left the first and it was Leak who scored on the first attack when he stripped the ball one on one off Geronimo Doyle to race away to score under the posts and Gilmore converted.

The Lions tried to come back again but some great Bulldogs defence held them out and they were rewarded for their efforts again when Dale Morton almost scored but was stopped by a great tackle by Mike Butt. From the resulting play the ball the lively hooker went over from acting half back and Gilmore again converted. Ben Heyes went close for the Lions on the hour, but again good defence managed to hold him out.

Bulldogs scored again with sixteen minutes left when Greg Johnson intercepted a loose Lions carry to race away up field only to be grounded short and from the play the ball Gilmore created a try for the flyer to dive in at the corner. With five minutes left it was Leak who scored his third try going over from close range again and Gilmore added the conversion to complete a good afternoon for his team.

LIONS

22 Geronimo Doyle

1 Mike Butt

11 Rhodri Lloyd

25 Luis Roberts

21 Ben Heyes

6 Martyn Ridyard

18 Cobi Green

40 Ronan Michael

9 Luke Waterworth

10 Lewis Hatton

3 Mitch Cox

12 Nick Gregson

15 Louis Brogan

Subs (all used)

14 Billy Brickhill

16 Paddy Jones

26 Jordan Brown

20 Tayler Brown

Try: Roberts (9)

Goal: Ridyard 1/1

BULLDOGS

5 Jonny Campbell

22 Dale Morton

12 Lucas Walshaw

18 George Senior

29 Greg Johnson

6 Ben White

7 Tom Gilmore

10 Toby Everett

24 Ben Kaye

15 Jack Blagbrough

17 Josh Tonks

11 Dane Manning

26 Nyle Flynn

Subs (all used)

9 Alistair Leak

16 Michael Ward

19 Tom Lillycrop

25 Anthony Bowman

Tries: Campbell (28,40), Senior (35), Leak (42,52,75), Johnson (64)

Goals: Gilmore 5/7