Batley Bulldogs 22 Swinton Lions 18: Bulldogs bite back in last quarter to tame determined Lions

Batley trailed 18-6 after an hour but scored three tries in the final quarter as they secured a third win in the Championship. Swinton took a fifth-minute lead as winger Shaun Robinson got on the end of a move in the right corner.

Ollie Davies then gathered a neat off-load from Ben White to score Swinton’s second try, which Chris Atkin converted.

Batley replied as Dominic Brambani stabbed the ball towards the line. A Swinton defender made a hash of collecting the ball and Dave Scott scooped it up to slide over, with Cain Southernwood converting.

Atkin hammered over a penalty to extend Swinton’s half-time lead to 12-6. Swinton extended their lead two minutes into the second half when Andy Bracek dived over wide on the left and Atkin kicked a penalty from the Lions next attack.

As conditions worsened, Batley produced their best rugby and piled on the pressure.

Southernwood produced a lovely kick through and Macauley Hallett pounced for a try which Southernwood improved. Scott then charged through a gap to score and reduce the deficit to two points.

Batley turned down a penalty shot at goal, which would have levelled matters, but their decision paid off as they forced Swinton onto the back foot.

Scott’s jinking run put Batley back on attack and they moved quickly left for Hallett to spin out of a tackle and over for a 75th minute try which put the Bulldogs ahead.

Southernwood was off target with the conversion attempt but hammered over a penalty two minutes from time to seal the victory.

Batley Bulldogs: Scott; Reittie, Smeaton, Hallett, Hayward; Southernwood, Brambani; Maher, Walker, Gledhill, Manning, Day, Farrell. Subs: Holmes, Bretherton, Rowe, Lillycrop.

Swinton Lions: Murphy; Robinson, Hankinson, Thornley, Butt; White, Atkin; Bracek, Kenny, Lever, Dwyer, Davies, Bate. Subs: Austin, Nicholson, Barlow, Gardner.

Referee: Jon Roberts.

Attendance: 726.