York City Knights 16 Batley Bulldogs 34: Battling York fall to defeat against Batley

An even first 20 minutes saw York go close through a superb touchline break from Jack Latus and Ben Johnston.

That was the pick of the Knights’ attacking intent but a 
quality inside pass from 
playmaker Ben Black saw Anthony Mullally power through a defensive hole to put the Bulldogs in front.

Tom Hemingway added the conversion and bounced off the tackles for Danny Maun to increase the lead.

But Ben Johnston’s dummy before accelerating through the gap reduced the deficit to only six points shortly before the half-time break.

With the second phase only seven minutes old, York winger George Elliott raced 50 metres to score after defusing a Ben Black bomb and Jonny Presley’s touch-down put the Knights’ noses in front after an excellent break from Ben Johnston.

Bulldogs winger Gareth Potts levelled the scores and seconds after rejoining the action Mennell proved his worth running directly at the defence to score. Mullally, with a powerful diagonal run, then proved unstoppable to give the Bulldogs a decisive 12-point advantage.

Greenwood touched down a cross field movement with seven minutes remaining and Hemingway added a penalty after Joe Pickets was red-carded for punching Jonny Campbell with Sam Scott following for abusing the referee.

York City Knights: Carr, Elliott, Craig J Latus, Dent, Johnston, Presley, Nicholson, Lee, Aldous, Scott, Smith, Pickets. Substitutes: Iley, Stenchion, Freer, Broughton

Batley Bulldogs: Greenwood, Potts, Faal, Maun, Campbell, Black, Hemingway, Smith, Mennell, Mullally, Bretherton, Walmsley, Lindsay. Substitutes: Johnson, Leek, Leary, Fairbank.

Referee: G Stokes (RFL).

Daniel Davies and Dave Llewellyn both went over twice as Rochdale Hornets ended their regular-season campaign with a comfortable 72-12 Kingstone Press Championship 1 win over Gloucestershire All Golds.