Batley Bulldogs 40 Swinton Lions 18: Comfortable win ends Bulldogs' nine-match losing run

Brad Day opened the scoring with 10 minutes played and the Bulldogs never looked back as they ran in six more tries to claim their first league win since May.

Matt Diskin’s men enjoyed the majority of territory and possession in the first half as Swinton only marked the scoreboard with a Brad Billsborough penalty goal.

On his home debut, Louis Jouffret dropped the ball off for Day to crash over and claim the first try of the afternoon.

Batley Bulldogs try scorer, Jason Crookes. PIC: Paul Butterfield

Batley were in for their second soon after as Dave Scott found Jason Crookes who, on his return to the side, weaved through the defenders to dot the ball down.

A superb piece of individual play from hooker Alistair Leak saw the Bulldogs go further clear.

The number nine nipped through the tightest of gaps before off-loading magnificently to Scott who switched it inside for James Harrison to run clear.

Wayne Reittie marked his return from a shoulder injury with the final try of the half as he sold the full-back a dummy and ran in-field to plant the ball down.

James Harrison, who touched down twice in Batley's win over Swinton. PIC: Paul Butterfield

Harrison grabbed his second try within a minute of the restart as he cut through the Swinton line and with sheer brute force went through the full-back to score under the posts.

Scott then notched a try of his own with 55 minutes played as he ran onto James Brown’s pass and scythed through the defenders to slide over the whitewash.

Johnny Campbell was next to cross as Jouffret broke and fed Crookes who popped it off for Campbell to dive over out wide.

Josh Barlow, Aaron Hall and Josh Butt added three late tries for the visiting Swinton side as Adam Gledhill, Alex Rowe and Robert Fairclough were sin-binned after an ill-tempered finish.

Batley Bulldogs: Scott, Reittie, Smeaton, Crookes, Campbell, Jouffret, Brambani, Gledhill, Leak, Holland, Manning, Day, Brown. Subs: Rowe, Davey, Harrison, Bretherton.

Swinton Lions: Hansen, Butt, Llyod, Brown, Fell, Billsborough, Fairclough, Bracek, Hansen, Thornley, Davies, Shelford, Barlow. Subs: Austin, Ganson, Hall, Worrall.

Referee: Matt Rossleigh.