Batley Bulldogs 16 Featherstone Rovers 23: Blackmore leads way in Featherstone’s revival

John Kear’s side seemed in complete control against their West Yorkshire rivals at Mount Pleasant after an impressive first-half display.

Hooker Matt Fozzard opened the scoring with a try that Cain Southernwood converted and second-row Sam Scott added another soon after.

When former Bradford Bulls winger Sean Ainscough crossed on the half-hour, they went in to the break 14-0 ahead with perplexed Featherstone staring at a third straight defeat.

Southernwood tagged on a penalty to stretch that lead but the visitors roared back into life when Ben Blackmore struck with two tries in quick succession.

Gareth Moore converted the first and then did so again when Reni Maitua, the one-time Australia Test forward, scored a try on his long-awaited debut in the 69th minute.

That levelled the contest but it was Featherstone who crucially had all the momentum and they duly snatched the win.

Moore lined up to take a drop goal with two minutes to go but instead avoided the charging Batley defence and switched the play to winger Will Sharp who raced in at the corner, breaking Bulldogs’ hearts.

Moore did slot a drop goal for good measure in the penultimate minute.

Batley: Grayston, Reittie, Bretherton, Squires, Ainscough, Southernwood, Leak, Hirst, Fozzard, Rowe, Scott, Mitchell, Chandler. Substitutes: Nicholson, Hesketh, Lillycrop, Brown.

Featherstone: Hitchcox, Blackmore, Hardman, Minns, Sharp, Sykes, Moore, Baldwinson, Ellis, Bostock, Cording, Maitua, Spears. Substitutes: Irwin, Foster, Tonks, Bussey.

Referee: G Stokes (RFL).