Batley Bulldogs stun Sheffield Eagles with fabulous comeback win on John Kear's return

The Bulldogs spectacularly recovered from a 14-0 deficit to get to within two points at the break thanks to tries from debutant Kieran Gill and Ben White.

And they completed a remarkable comeback with two late second half tries from Lucas Walshaw and Gill as Batley secured a 24-14 success and a first win in nine games.

Whether this will be officially classed as Kear’s first match back in charge of the Bulldogs remains to be seen following the announcement he would guide the club until the end of the season, but the legendary coach will surely have been pleased with what he witnessed, especially in the latter stages of the first half and the whole of the second 40.

This was a crucial contest too. A game both struggling sides needed to win in their quests to avoid the Super 8s at the end of the season.

Batley, in 11th and eight points from safety before a ball was kicked on a blisteringly hot afternoon in West Yorkshire, were winless in eight consecutive games. Hence the void for Kear, who famously led the club between 2011 and 2016, to fill following Mark Moxon’s resignation before the most recent defeat to Bradford Bulls.

The Eagles, just two points and place above in 10th, led by another former Batley hero in Craig Lingard, had thrashed the Bulldogs 50-18 in April but had only gone on to win two of their six outings since then.

Maybe it should have been no surprise then that the game started in a scrappy and nervy fashion with loose passes and knock-ons on show from both sides.

But with Batley going down the famous slope in the first half, you sensed they needed to take an early advantage. And they came almighty close after a Josh Woods 40-20 gave them great field position, resulting in the half-back producing a delicate grubber kick aimed for Lucas Walshaw, but the forward couldn’t get there in time to touch down.

And, astonishingly, in the blink of an eye, Sheffield went straight to the other end and opened the scoring when Jayden Billy flew down the right before passing inside to Kristian Welham who did the rest.

From almost going in front, Batley found themselves behind in a matter of seconds.

It could have been worse just after the midway point of the first half as Jack Walker found Matthew Dawson-Jones on the other flank but Robbie Butterworth, in the eyes of referee Aaryn Golding-Belafonte, did enough to hold the winger up.

The Eagles didn’t have to wait long to extend their lead, however, as former Batley player Josh Hodson, on kicking duties throughout, knocked over a penalty after a high tackle.

There were further celebrations from the visitors when Titus Gwaze spotted a gap and powered over for a 14-0 advantage.

You sensed Batley needed something before the break, otherwise it would be a literal uphill struggle and a mountain to climb in the second half.

And they reduced it to a two-score game when Woods’ long pass found Gill - who arrived at the club on a two-week loan from Bradford Bulls along with Bayley Liu who also made his debut - who somehow managed to get over the line.

It was just what Kear would have wanted. But, unbelievably, the Bulldogs got another one just before the half-time hooter as White powered over from close range by the posts.

Five minutes earlier, it had looked like a case of how many points Sheffield were going to amass. Now the Bulldogs were in the ascendancy.

They did have a major let off when Alex Foster’s try was wiped out by the referee for offside.

But that was the closest the Eagles got to the Batley tryline in the second half in what was a largely one-sided second half.

It looked like it was going to be one of those games though as the Bulldogs kept knocking on the Sheffield door, but the visitors did not want to answer.

Adam Gledhill knocked on when he was in a decent position before Liu was deposited into touch in the very next set.

The home side were helped when Foster was sin binned for a high tackle on Ollie Greensmith on the hour-mark but still the Bulldogs could not get over.

But the pressure told going into the final ten minutes when Walshaw got on the end of a pat down following a White high bomb to put Batley in front for the first time.

And they put the game out of sight when Gill went over for his second to make it a debut to remember after great work from Butterworth and Woods.

It was a first win on home soil in over three months and all under the watchful eye of 70-year-old Kear, who will look to relish getting the Bulldogs out of the bottom four.

Batley: Butterworth, Greensmith, Liu, Gill, J Burton, White, Woods, Cooper, Brown, Moore, Manning, Walshaw, Blake

Interchanges: Gledhill, Leak, Flynn, High

Tries: Gill, White, Walshaw

Conversions: Woods (3)

Sheffield: Walker, Billy, Welham, Hodson, Dawson-Jones, Johnson, Windley, Battye, Butterworth, Broadbent, Farrell, Foster, Gwaze

Interchanges: Hodgson, Reilly, Billington, Peachey

Tries: Welham, Gwaze

Conversions: Hodson (2)

Penalties: Hodson

Referee: Aaryn Golding-Belafonte