BATLEY 40 BULLS 12

THEIR last play-off hopes had died on the notorious slope of Mount Pleasant - and it’s been downhill for the Bulls pretty much ever since.

Twelve months ago, they signed off a September slump with a season-ending defeat at the Bulldogs.

Returning for their final road trip of 2022, the outcome was the same - even if the consequences were far less dramatic.

Another hefty defeat, coupled with three more injuries, leaves the Bulls firmly entrenched in the bottom half of the Championship table.

This was no nip-and-tuck affair like before but a Sunday stroll for a Batley side who do nothing particularly flashy but just get the job done.

Trailing 16-6 at half-time, having had the advantage of the unique angle of this pitch, the Bulls were blown away by three tries in five minutes around the hour.

Even in-form City keeper Harry Lewis, watching under a baseball cap leaning against the stand, could not save them in this one-sided encounter.

David Foggin-Johnston, Myles Lawford and Aaron Murphy returned to the starting line-up. Brad England missed out with a one-game ban.

The Bulls had first use of the hill - but it was Batley who quickly struck after Lawford’s kick was charged down and rolled out of play.

Ben White cut through a gap after a spell of pressure on the line to open the score on three minutes.

The Bulls saw very little of the ball in the opening exchanges and Tom Gilmore’s grubber kick was shovelled behind by Lawford for a goalline drop-out.

Another cheap penalty, the story of the Bulls’ season, invited more trouble but winger Dale Morton’s effort was ruled out by the touch judge.

Lawford lifted the siege with a storming break from halfway before being dragged down a couple of metres short by Jonny Campbell.

But the hosts continued to dominate possession and grabbed a second try at the midway when Tom Gilmore’s long pass sent Morton racing in behind for a legitimate score.

Jacob Hookem appeared to be kicked in the face by Luke Hooley, who is still facing an investigation for a biting incident. But Super League ref Tom Grant decided against taking any action with the Bulldogs fullback.

The Bulls finally found some attacking momentum, although George Flanagan’s trademark “show and go” from dummy half fooled nobody as he was held up over the line.

But they did break through when Hookem sent Chester Butler through a gap for his sixth try of the season.

More bad news soon followed though as Samy Kibula, who had only come off the bench for a matter of minutes, was helped from the field.

Both sides were coughing up too many penalties and the Bulls paid the price when they were caught offside 10 metres from their line, allowing Gilmore to slot over another two points five minutes before the hooter.

Rhys Evans, playing the 200th game of his career, prevented the deficit growing with a superb try-saving tackle to dump Campbell in touch.

But one more penalty after the hooter meant Gilmore could tack on two more to make it a 10-point game at the end of a stop-start half.

Lawford did not return for the second period because of an arm injury and Butler soon joined him and Kibula on the sideline after landing heavily in a tackle.

The injuries just compounded the woes for Mark Dunning's team, who were left with one fit interchange for the rest of the game.

The patched-up Bulls briefly threatened to come back into it as Flanagan was held up on the line and Ant Walker smothered a couple of metres away on the last tackle.

But Batley extended their lead on 55 minutes, Dane Manning’s pass at the end of a free-flowing move sending Hooley slicing through the tiring defence to score under the posts.

Having set one up, Manning then went over himself from close range before Hooley nabbed his second from Ben White's set-up to make it three tries in a five-minute burst.

Thomas Doyle was yellow-carded for a late hit and Lucas Walshaw punished the 12 men with a fourth try of the half.

Sam Hallas provided a little late cheer for the travelling fans with a second Bulls try but it had been another grim afternoon in a season that cannot finish soon enough.

BATLEY: Hooley; Morton, Senior, Buchanan, Campbell; White, Gilmore; Gledhill, Blake, Brown, Manning, Walshaw, Reilly. Interchange: Flynn, Meadows, Ward, Lillycrop.

BULLS: Kear; Dawson-Jones, Evans, Gill, Foggin-Johnston; Hookem, Lawford; Walker, Flanagan, Crossley, Murphy, Butler, Hallas. Interchange: Doyle, Green, Wallace, Kibula.

BULLS MAN OF MATCH: Sam Hallas.