Bulldogs’ game plan does the trick for Kear

Bulldogs’ head coach John Kear said: “I was really happy with the first-half performance; we stuck to the game plan that we came here with.”

The visitors shot into a 10-point lead within the opening 10 minutes. First, a short ball to Adam Gledhill on the inside saw the prop find his way over and then, after Alex Brown, returning to the club on loan from Leigh, broke down the left wing, Miles Greenwood crossed for a second.

The response was quick from Crusaders, as Tommy Johnson crossed.

Batley increased their lead when Greenwood picked the ball up at acting half and darted at the line.

Early pressure in the second half from Crusaders counted for nothing as Batley added a further try, Luke Blake utilising space in the ruck to touch down.

The Welsh side gave themselves a chance when Dan Birkett dived in at the corner after the ball was spread to the wing through the hands of Jamie Dallimore and Stephen Bannister.

But Alistair Leak made the most of some weak goalline defence from Crusaders to put the game out of reach.

Crusaders did, however, manage to seal a bonus point with a late consolation try through Toby Adamson.

North Wales Crusaders: Johnson, Clay, Reardon, Hulme, Birkett, White, Dallimore, J. Walker, C. Ashall, Offerdahl, Wild, A. Lawton, Adamson. Substitutes: Griffiths, Bannister, MacDonald, Mills.

Batley Bulldogs: Greenwood, Blackmore, Griffin, Paterson, Brown, Davies, Leatherbarrow, Smith, Blake, Gledhill, Martin, Scott, Applegarth. Substitutes: Rowe, Leek, Mason, Trout.

Referee: M Thomason (RFL)