Recap
Hunslet suffered another frustrating home defeat, this time to Batley Bulldogs at the South Leeds Stadium (August 24th).
The Parksiders were victorious back in April at the Fox’s Biscuits Stadium, but Batley held firm to early Hunslet pressure and hit back to run out easy winners.
It was a game Hunslet Head Coach Kyle Trout would have marked down as a possible win, but Hunslet’s home form this season has been poor, and after conceding just after the break Hunslet’s confidence went and the visitors piled on more misery for the home faithful.
Signs early on were good as Lee Gaskell sent Coby Nichol away down the left in the first minute, and Hunslet had a chance for some pressure. A certain try was bombed as Batley were short on their left, but the pass didn’t come and the Gallant Youth’s survived.
Hunslet were on top due to Gaskell’s kicking, but a Billy Jowitt kick nearly resulted in a try for Jimmy Watson, the veteran full-back playing in the centre’s just missed out on touching down.
Batley only got good field position off the back of two Hunslet knock-on’s, but unlike Hunslet they took their chances well. On the last tackle passing to the right they sucked in the Hunslet defence and Joe Burton nipped in the corner. 0-4 on 23 minutes.
More mistakes meant Batley could again strike on the last tackle. A kick was fumbled and Jack Render dived over to score against his old Club. 0-10 Robbie Butterworth converting on 28 minutes.
Hunslet were now wobbling and making silly errors and Batley came again, but The Parksiders defence held out. Although Lloyd McEwan-Peters went close for Hunslet the last knockings of the half petered out as Sam Ackroyd had to the leave the field with an injury adding to Hunslet’s woes. 0-10 at the break.
The home fans would be hoping for a resurgence and some luck after the break, but instead the luck went Batleys way on 42 minutes as a kick bounced off the defending Keelan Foster into the arms of Ben White to score an easy try. 0-16
Hunslet were penalised straight from the kick-off for offside, and 4 minutes later Luke Cooper sliced through poor defending to score. Butterworth adding the extras. 0-22 and game almost over.
Hunslet would need 4 tries in the remaining 20 minutes to record an unlikely victory, but on 58 minutes a Billy Jowitt break near his own line set up McEwan-Peters to get Batley on the back foot before Liam Carr finished off with a good try by the posts. Jowitt converting 6-22
It could have been game on a moment later as Jack Rampton read a pass and intercepted, but his ball inside went to ground and as Joe Burton scored his 2nd of the afternoon on 66 minutes Hunslet had rolled the dice for the last time. 6-28
Jack Render added his 2nd on 73 minutes as Jowitt and Watson collided before Dane Manning stretched over to make it 6-40 in added time.
Gaskell had tried stretching Batley with his kicks, but Batley had been quicker around the ruck and Hunslet had been short on ideas. At the hooter it was another large home defeat for The Parksiders.
Coby Nichol was awarded the Tricks of the Trade Sponsors Player of the Match and Billy Jowitt the Phoenix Bar Supporters Player of the Match. Lee Gaskell always looked dangerous and Ethan Wood played well coming back into the team, but it’s hard to see where another victory will come from this season as Hunslet travel to Widnes next week (Aug 31st), the first of only 3 remaining games.
HUNSLET – Jowitt, Rampton, Watson, McEwan-Peters, Nichol, Gaskell, Balback, Hallas, Fletcher, Foster, Wood, Welham, Clavering, Ackroyd, Carr, Gilmore, Larroyer, Westerman.
BATLEY – Kear, Burton, Carr, Greensmith, Render, Butterworth, White, Gledhill, Moore, Brown, Manning, Walshaw, Blake. Leak, High, Flynn, Cooper, Bateman