Martin Morgan reports from Mount Pleasant

Last updated 16:57, Monday, 19 May 2008

Batley Bulldogs 36 Whitehaven 20: Haven suffered a second-half nightmare as Batley completed a rare league double over the Cumbrians at Mount Pleasant yesterday.

• Video: watch match highlights

Gary Broadbent was the pick of the bunch at Batley

Ged Stokes’ side trailed only 12-10 at the break, after playing up the infamous Mount Pleasant slope. But they had no answer to Batley’s determined second-half effort.

Haven were without key player Carl Rudd, and a string of other leading performers, but they should still have had enough in the locker to beat the Bulldogs.

Alarmingly, their pack, so impressive at times this year, was out-muscled by the Batley forwards, led by the superb Kevin Crouthers at prop.

The hosts started the stronger, Byron Smith putting Ian Preece in to space, only for Gary Broadbent to snuff out the danger.

Haven took the lead in the 11th minute, on their first attack, centre Scott McAvoy ploughing through a couple of defenders from 10 metres out.

Tane Manihera, on debut, added the extras, but the lead was to last for only six minutes.

Saia Makisi’s shoulder charge failed to halt Mark Toohey’s momentum sufficiently to stop the stand-off scoring. Kevin King landed the first of his six goals.

On Batley’s next set, Bolu Fagborun showed great pace down the left flank, and if fellow winger Ollie Marns had been able to take his inside pass, Haven could have been in trouble.

As it was, Haven were next on the scoresheet, Rob Jackson taking Makisi’s offload in heavy traffic to cross out wide.

Centre Danny Maun looked certain to hit back following another break down the left, but Haven somehow kept him out.

Disaster struck for Haven two minutes before the break, however, after King cut loose.

Manihera played his part in denying the big centre a try, but the scrum-half then committed back-to-back infringements at the ruck and was sin-binned by ref Mr Merrick.

On the next play, Crouthers broke through some weak defence, and the conversion put the hosts 12-10 up at the break.

Haven must still have fancied their chances, playing down the hill in the second-half.

But the error count continued to rise, and after Graeme Mattinson lost the ball 30 metres from the Batley line on first tackle, the grateful hosts set off upfield.

Crouthers again broke through and fed Preece, who audaciously dummied Broadbent to score.

Moments later, Haven were caught short of numbers out wide and the burly Fagborun added to his team’s lead.

Second-half sub Martin Gambles, another on debut for Haven, was quick out of the blocks, putting Jackson on the outside of his marker with a fine pass in midfield.

The centre fed Derry Eilbeck who set off down the right wing, and when the cover closed in, he attempted an inside pass to the supporting Makisi.

Crouthers was on hand to palm down the ball and save a try. But moments later, Spencer Miller put Craig Calvert in for a four-pointer out wide.

With only eight minutes left and Haven chasing the game at 24-14 in arrears, Gambles threw a risky long pass that was intercepted by King. He fed Danny Maun who crossed unopposed.

And Batley were still not finished. Three minutes later, the Yorkshiremen ensured that Haven would return home without even a bonus point as consolation, second-row Tim Spears breaking through and feeding hooker Kris Lythe for the Bulldogs’ sixth try.

To their credit, Haven kept going, and when Crouthers finally threw a loose pass, Gambles was on hand to gather.

Andy Gorski looked certain to score, only for fantastic defence to hold him up over the try line.

The same fate then befell Makisi before Broadbent crashed over under the posts, Manihera converting.

Haven know they must show a dramatic improvement next time out, in front of the Sky Sports cameras, against Salford, or they face a torrid night.

Match Facts

Haven: Broadbent, Calvert, Jackson. McAvoy, Eilbeck, Bainbridge, Manihera, Edmondson, Mattinson, Hill, Miller, Gorski, Makisi. Subs: Gambles, Ford, McDonald, Teare

Tries: McAvoy, Jackson, Calvert, Broadbent

Goals: Manihera 2

Batley: Preece, Marnes, King, Maun, Fagborun, Toohey, Mennell, Stenchion, Lythe, Crouthers, Smith, Spears, Farrell. Subs: Lindsay, Boothroyd, Henderson, Simpson.

Tries: Toohey, Crouthers, Preece, Fagborun, Maun, Lythe

Goals: King 6

Referee: D Merrick

Attendance: 705

Star Man: Gary Broadbent