BATLEY BULLDOGS 42 - 12 NEWCASTLE THUNDER

Newcastle Thunder were left to count the cost of handling errors and indiscipline on Sunday afternoon as they fell to a 42-12 Betfred Championship loss against Batley Bulldogs.

A sluggish start saw Thunder six-nil down after just three minutes as Batley half-back Tom Gilmore sliced through the defence to feed Jack Blagbrough for the opening try, before a superb 40/20 laid the platform for the second through Ben Kaye three minutes later.

Looking to respond after the hosts dropped the restart, a penalty for obstruction as Thunder attempted to move the ball wide halted the visitors’ efforts to open their account.

Batley pounced to score a fortuitous third try with a quarter of the game gone as they won the race to dot down a loose ball after Newcastle tried to find space to launch a counterattack.

Having defended well the pass out to the wing hit the posts instead of finding its man, with Nyle Flynn getting just enough pressure onto the ricochet first to make it 18-0

With a fourth try conceded as the half-hour approached, the game was in danger of running away from Newcastle, but they instead had the last word of the half as they struck back with a try from Ukuma Ta’ai.

After being awarded a penalty close to the Bulldogs line following strong carries from Liam McAvoy and Kieran Hudson, Thunder worked a short ball to the onrushing back-row with the Tongan international contributing one of his trademark close-range scores.

With an 18-point deficit to overturn, Newcastle appeared to have carried over some momentum from their end to the first half as they made a bright start to the second.

Earning three separate resets of the tackle count as the Bulldogs fumbled attempted intercepts, McAvoy ensured that points were yielded from a pleasing period on the front foot.

It would be the closest that they would get to the Bulldogs though and that initial in-road was wiped out just three minutes later, after Batley punished another Newcastle knock on and surrendering of possession close to the line.

With time slipping away, a need to force a score effectively killed any hopes of a fightback as on-loan Leeds Rhinos centre Levi Edwards intercepted a lethargic Thunder pass before running a clear 80 meters for a solo try.

Though the scoreline was now imposing, the closing quarter of the game provided plenty of heart for Thunder fans to take, as its’ fielded academy products produced assured displays.

Hudson caused plenty of mayhem with strong carries during his stints, while fullback Alex Donaghy was assured at the back and U19s skipper Todd Wilkinson moved his side around the park well. 

In terms of the result though, Thunder were now looking to keep the score under 40 and were proving resolute in their defensive work.

That was until they lost Hudson to a yellow card in the closing stages as he employed skulduggery at a ruck to slow down the play, with the line breached one last time on the following set as Ben White added gloss to the Bulldogs result.      

Newcastle Thunder 

Alex Donaghy, Jack Johnson, Kieran Gill, Matty Wright, Alex Clegg, Reece Dean, Josh Woods, Ted Chapelhow, Connor Bailey, Jay Chapelhow, Ukuma Ta'ai, Cole Oakley, Owen Harrison, Sam Wilde, Liam McAvoy, Todd Wilkinson, Kieran Hudson

Tries - Ta'ai (32) McAvoy (43)

Goals - Woods 2/2

Batley Bulldogs

Elliot Hall, Jonny Campbell, Lucas Walshaw, Levi Edwards, Greg Johnson, Ben White, Tom Gilmore, Ben Kaye, Jack Blagbrough, Kieran Buchanan, Dane Manning, Nyle Flynn, Alister Leak, Dale Morton, Michael Ward, James Brown, 

Tries - Blagbrough (3), Kaye (6), Flynn (21) Walshaw (26) Buchanan (45) Edwards (57) White (77) 

Goals - Gilmore 7 / 8