Batley Bulldogs 12 Catalans Dragons 74 - Cup dream over for Batley after Catalans enjoy second-half blitz

For 56 minutes Batley had managed to stay in contention against their heavyweight Super league opposition, tries either side of half-time from Jason Walton and Kris Lythe leaving this quarter-final contest in the balance at 26-12.

But the Championship part-timers saw their defence shredded in a merciless final half-hour which saw the 2007 finalists run in eight converted tries.

The Dragons were greeted by a cold, wet welcome at Mount Pleasant although at least the car park attendant donned a beret in traditional French style.

"I got it in Toulouse, at least it keeps my head warm," he said. A couple of home fans joined in the fancy dress fun with French maid outfits, but at least the strings of onions were nowhere to be seen.

The Mount Pleasant PA announcer was happy to join in the frivolity though, in typical 'Allo Allo' fashion, broadcasting the teams with "Listen carefully, I shall say this only once."

The Batley squad were out early going through their warm-up, the French contingent venturing out 20 minutes before kick-off. The famous slope of Batley's pitch must have looked more like a vineyard from their homeland than a rugby pitch, a world away from the Super League stadia Catalans have become accustomed to.

Batley kicked off down the slope and were reduced to 12 men inside the opening minutes after a late challenge by Sean Hesketh on Thomas Bosc.

The Dragons looked to make their advantage count quickly, but a try was ruled out for offside before Dimitri Pelo spilled the ball 10 metres out.

But the visitors, aided by a spate of penalties, finally opened the scoring after eight minutes as Jerome Guisset powered over under the posts and Bosc added the conversion.

The Dragons were forced into an early reshuffle when Kane Bentley limped off to be replaced by Remi Casty, but Batley had a let-off when Steven Bell strayed into touch before touching down.

At the other end, Ash Lindsay was held up close to the line on the last tackle before a horrendous error by Lee Greenwood gifted the visitors their second try.

The winger never looked comfortable under a high bomb, and when he allowed the ball to slip from his grasp, substitute Jamal Fakir was on hand to run the ball over for a Bosc-converted try.

And it soon became 18-0 when Brent Sherwin slipped in Casty for a third try. It looked like being a daunting evening ahead for the part-timers, and the ball boy on the neighbouring cricket pitch as he was dispatched again to retrieve the ball after Bosc's conversion once more sailed over the stand and out of the ground.

Bosc did fail, however, to find the cricket pitch, or the posts, to Dane Carlaw's 30th-minute try.

Fakir was lucky to escape punishment after a late hit on Paul Handforth, but Batley could not make anything of the penalty and when play moved back up the slope, Frederic Vaccari crashed over in the left-hand corner. Bosc missed the conversion to leave Batley trailing 26-0.

There had been little to cheer for the 2,132 home crowd, but they were up on their feet just before half-time when Handforth picked out Walton for a try, converted by Gareth Moore.

Never could the phrase 'uphill battle' been more apt in a sporting sense at half-time, as Batley turned round trailing 26-6 kicking up the slope.

Early second-half possession had the hosts pushing the Dragons back, but the pressure was eased when Ash Lindsay coughed up the ball.

But Kris Lythe gave Batley a lifeline after a breakaway try saw the ball change hands several times, with Hesketh instrumental.

Moore's conversion reduced the deficit to 26-12 to set-up an intriguing final 30 minutes and the No 7 was unlucky not to pick up his chip through, only for the ball to agonislngly bounce over his head.

But Batley's fightback was thwarted with three quickfire Dragons tries.

First former Wakefield Wildcats favourite Olivier Elima raced over for a 57th-minute try, Sebastien Raguin profited from some enterprising play from the French side to waltz over, before a fine individual effort from Steven Bell. Bosc converted all three tries to pull away 44-12.

It was now a case of how many points Catalans would post, as No 8 David Ferriol bulldozed over, before Elima and Fakir soon followed.

The scoreline now flattered the visitors, as Andrew Bentley and Tony Gigot joined the one-way traffic with tries, Bosc kicking 11 out of 13 conversion attempts.

Batley Bulldogs: Campbell, Barlow, Griffin, Maun, L Greenwood, Handforth, Moore, Smith, Lythe, Hesketh, Walton, J Gallagher, Lindsay. Substitutes: Buttery, T Gallagher, Martin, Tootill.

Catalans Dragons: Pelo, Bell, Raguin, Sa, Vaccari, Bosc, Sherwin, Ferriol, K Bentley, Guisset, Elima, Carlaw, Johnson. Substitutes: Fakir, Casty, Gigot, A Bentley.

Referee: I Smith (Oldham).