Luke Hooley jumps to try claim a high ball

DEWSBURY RAMS 20

BATLEY BULLDOGS 22

BATLEY BULLDOGS came from behind to gain a narrow victory last Monday evening against their Heavy Woollen rivals Dewsbury Rams, recovering from a 20-6 half-time deficit, with the match turning on the sinbinning of veteran Rams stand-off Paul Sykes for a shoulder charge on Dale Morton in the 57th minute of the game.

The Rams were playing only for pride, knowing they will be relegated, and their coach Liam Finn fielded an unchanged squad after their victory against Workington Town eight days earlier, whereas Batley coach Craig Lingard made a raft of changes to his after their defeat to London Broncos.

The Rams led when Adam Ryder broke down the Batley left and passed to Sykes, who then fed Jake Sweeting for the opening try.

Reiss Butterworth then scored brilliantly from dummy-half for his fourth of the season before the Rams went 14 points in front from a Sykes penalty, awarded for an offside.

Dane Manning replied for the Bulldogs after a move involving Ben White and James Meadows.

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.

Luke Hooley then dropped a Sykes bomb and the Rams’ stand-off followed up his own kick to score the Rams’ third try, adding the conversion for a 20-6 lead.

The Bulldogs’ second-half fightback began when George Senior scored ten minutes into the second half.

But then came the crucial incident when Sykes was shown a yellow card, after a skirmish between the two sides for a shoulder charge on Morton. While the Rams’ star was off the field, Morton touched down twice as the Bulldogs moved the ball to the right, putting them 22-20 ahead and holding on to end their three-match losing run, putting them above Barrow into fourth place in the table.

GAMESTAR: James Meadows started from the bench for the Bulldogs, but his arrival on the pitch saw the start of a turnaround in the game.

GAMEBREAKER: Paul Sykes’ sinbinning was devastating for the Rams, with the Bulldogs scoring two decisive tries in the ten minutes he  was off the field.

RAMS: 27 Aidan McGowan; 5 Lewis Carr; 18 Ollie Greensmith; 3 Adam Ryder; 4 Davey Dixon; 40 Paul Sykes; 19 Jake Sweeting; 8 Jimmy Beckett; 9 Reiss Butterworth; 24 Dale Ferguson; 33 Connor Davies; 21 Brad Graham; 31 Ben Mathiou. Subs (all used): 12 Michael Knowles; 22 Jon Luke Kirby; 26 Jackson Walker; 29 Robson Stevens. Tries: Sweeting (4), Butterworth (11), Sykes (36); Goals: Sykes 4/4

BULLDOGS: 1 Luke Hooley; 22 Dale Morton; 18 George Senior; 3 Kieran Buchanan; 5 Johnny Campbell; 6 Ben White; 7 Tom Gilmore; 8 Adam Gledhill; 28 Oli Burton; 13 James Brown; 11 Dane Manning; 12 Lucas Walshaw; 30 Martyn Reilly. Subs (all used): 14 James Meadows; 19 Tom Lillycrop; 20 Louis Collinson; 26 Nyle Flynn. Tries: Manning (28), Senior (49), Morton (59, 66); Goals: Gilmore 3/4 Sinbin: Sykes (57) - shoulder charge