Featherstone Rovers 42 Batley Bulldogs 14: Featherstone closing in on top-four finish

Rovers are third in the Championship, but have a three-point advantage over chasers Toulouse Olympique and Halifax with three games remaining.

With the two sides immediately below them meeting this weekend, victory at Oldham on Sunday should secure a top-four finish.

Batley led early in yesterday’s game and were only two points adrift 10 minutes into the second half before Rovers scored 26 points without reply.

Brad Day’s try, converted by Patch Walker, got the visitors off to a flying start, but Rovers replied with a penalty try and touchdowns by Scott Turner and Jordan Baldwinson.

Wayne Reittie and Shaun Ainscough crossed either side of half-time to cut Rovers’ lead to 16-14, but the home side then took full control.

Jack Ormondroyd stormed over for a try out of nothing, John Davies touched down and Andy Bostock crashed in for his 100th career try on his 150th game for Featherstone.

Ian Hardman finished with 18 points, scoring the final try and adding his sixth conversion, to go with a second half penalty.

Rovers had Chris Ulugia sin-binned following a team warning and yellow cards were also shown to Batley’s Dane Manning and Tom Lillycrop.

Featherstone Rovers: Hardman; Turner, Hardcastle, Ulugia, Taulapapa; Thackeray, Wildie; Bostock, Carlile, Griffin, Walton, Davies, Walters. Substitutes: Moore, Lockwood, Baldwinson, Ormondroyd.

Batley Bulldogs: Scott; Reittie, Smeaton, Crookes, Ainscough; Walker, Brambani; Gledhill, Leak, Lillycrop, Manning, Farrell, Day Substitutes: Southernwood, Rowe, Harrison, Brown.

Referee: J Roberts (Leeds).