Kelly's Rams have confidence boost

Rob Worrincy picked up a biceps injury which may rule him out of Sundays Summer Bash derby against Batley Bulldogs in Blackpool. Pic: Paul Butterfield

The Heavy Woollen clash brings the curtain down on a full weekend of Championship games at the seaside and kicks off at 5.30pm on Sunday.

Batley won the Good Friday derby 18-10 at Mount Pleasant but Kelly is looking for his side to kick on having ended a nine-match losing run at Halifax.

Kelly said: “We should have a lot more confidence going into the Summer Bash than what we did going into the game against Halifax.

“I’m looking forward to it, they’ve had the Indian sign on us over the last few times we have met.

“However when we played at Batley earlier on in the season I think we created a situation where it was easier to win than lose, but we managed to lose.

“That’s indicative of how we have been over this period, but again you have to do the right thing, 85 per cent completion rate in the first half is now the bench mark going forward.”

Dewsbury led 14-0 at Halifax but then trailed 22-20 in the latter stages when a Paul Sykes penalty goal rescued a point, which leaves the Rams three points clear of the Championship drop zone.

Kelly added: “It was a vastly improved performance. There were vastly more positives than negatives and if, on Sunday morning, somebody had said ‘you’ll get a draw at Halifax’, I’d have said ‘that’ll do for me’.

“We have set a benchmark now, that’s our level of performance and hopefully we can build on it from there.

“We were in a winning position, but Halifax were never going to lie down for the full 80 minutes.

“They got their noses in front and over the last couple of months that has been the sign for heads to drop and let the game drift out of reach, but we had the character and the players to get back up field and get the penalty to earn a draw.”

Kelly also praised on loan signing Shannon Wakeman for his display at Halifax, saying: “He had an immense game and the other middle players responded well to the lift he gave them.”

James Glover will undergo tests before given the all clear after suffering concussion, while Rob Worrincy, who scored an interception try at Halifax, could be a doubt to face Batley after picking up a biceps injury.