Major milestone for Moore after Featherstone outclass Bulldogs

FEATHERSTONE’S Gareth Moore scored his 1,000th career point against his old club Batley as Rovers continued their return to form.

Moore scored a try and kicked five goals in a 10-try win that kept second-placed Rovers two points clear of Halifax and Doncaster.

Jason Crookes and Greg Worthington each bagged two tries and Moore’s half-back partner Andy Kain got off his sick bed to give a man-of-the-match display as Featherstone completed a league double over Batley.

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Worthington scored his first try after just two minutes from Moore’s pass, before Andy Ellis then finished a lovely 50-yard move.

Ayden Faal was tackled just just short in a brief spell of Batley pressure before Featherstone shot further ahead with two tries in three minutes.

Worthington forced his way through for his second and George Flanagan darted over after clever play by Andy Bostock and Will Sharp. The Bulldogs fell further behind on the stroke of half-time when Ian Hardman made the opening for Crookes to score in the corner.

The one-way traffic continued in the second period when slick work by Kain and Hardman saw James Mendeika cross.

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Batley were 30-0 down before they got their solitary try when Scott Leatherbarrow sent in Mark Applegarth and Lee Paterson converted.

But they finished a well-beaten side as Rovers added four more tries.

Matt James bulldozed his way over, Moore scooped up a loose ball to score, Crookes went over for his second and Moore’s neat kick set up the final score of the game for Kain.

The only concern for Rovers was the loss of centre Worthington 15 minutes from time with a recurrence of a knee injury.

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Featherstone Rovers: Mendeika; Sharp, Worthington, Hardman, Crookes; Kain, Moore; Crossley, Ellis, James, Trout, Pick, Dale. Substitutes: Flanagan, Annakin, Bostock, Hirst.

Batley Bulldogs: Paterson; Finigan, Faal, Chandler, A Brown; Black, Leatherbarrow; Smith, Blake, Applegarth, Scott, Bretherton, Davies. Substitutes: Reittie, Nicholson, Rowe, Martin.

Referee: G Stokes (St Helens).

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