Batley Bulldogs under pressure after game management lets them down at Swinton Lions
![Batley Bulldogs coach Matt Diskin.](https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/webimg/legacy_ash_109523480.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65&enable=upscale)
![Batley Bulldogs coach Matt Diskin.](/img/placeholder.png)
Bulldogs remain three points clear of the relegation zone, but have dropped to fourth from bottom in the Betfred Championship table.
Reflecting on the defeat, Diskin said: “We were in control for 60 minutes of the game, then we went away from what had been working for us.
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Hide Ad“It was really poor game-management – kicking out on the full, trying to force plays from our own 20-metre area.
“We gifted them field position; it was really dumb. We were the better team for the majority of it, we just had a brain explosion.
“We showed a real lack of rugby intelligence from 55-60 minutes onwards, gifting them field position time after time.”
Bulldogs have been targeting a top-eight finish and Diskin admitted the loss was a “massive” blow to that objective.
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Hide Ad“It puts us in a position where we are in a bit of limbo really,” he conceded.
“We’ve got people hot on our heels and with two teams being relegated this year it puts us under a bit of pressure now.
“It’s our own fault because I genuinely don’t believe we should be where we are with the quality we’ve got, but poor game-management and the amount of errors we are making week-in, week-out has led to this position.
“We’ve got to start getting a bit more gritty about our performances.”
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Hide AdNiall Walker and Paul Brearley both picked up hamstring injuries and Diskin added: “Joe Taira, there was a really nasty crocodile-roll type incident with him which caused a problem with his knee so he will be out for a while.”