Ray Taylor and the chairman of Rochdale council were presented to both teams before the game. Ray looked resplendent in his chains of office.

7:30 Hornets kick-off. Hornets are facing towards the WMG stand.

7:34 Wilson for Hornets scores after a mistake by Batley’s Chris Hough. Wilson collects on the half-way line and makes it to the try line 5 yards form the corner flag. Robinson pulls the conversion left of the posts. 4-0 to Hornets.

7:38 Matt Long makes a break and passes to Ayres. Warren cuts back on the sliding defence to race in. 8-0. Ayres misses the conversion from virtually the same spot as the earlier attempt from Robinson.

7:44 Batley make their first attack of the game forcing Davis (Hornets fullback) to kick the ball dead in his own in-goal area . Hornets drop out from under the posts.

Batley’s Andy Adamson was tackled fairly hard in that last attack, some fans thought it was a bit high but it looks like it’s a leg injury. Adamson is carried off on a stretcher to applause from both sets of fans.

Both teams play out sets of six.

Warren Ayres more in desperation than anything else hoists a big “up and under” straight to the Batley full-back Lee Carbutt. Carbutt doesn’t have to move and is under no pressure but some how manages to knock-on! Luckily for Batley, Hornets return the compliment by throwing the ball into touch on the first tackle from the resulting scrum!

Batley’s winger Danny Mills goes on a speedy run, this lad looks class, hope he doesn’t get a run tonight. There is an air of expectancy from the Batley fans every time he collects the ball.

A large “bomb” by Gartland puts Batley under pressure, did the Batley winger go into touch? The pressure is spoilt by mouthing to the referee resulting in a penalty to Batley.

Batley start to move the ball from one side of the field to the other, I’m worried everytime Danny Mills gets the ball.

7:55 It’s still 8-0 to Hornets.

Ian Sinfield visits the Hornets blood bin with what appears to be a cut mouth

8:00 Batley produce a fantastic try. From the half-way line they throw it out wide to their right winger who draws the defence before chipping the ball inside for the Batley scrum-half Brendan Sheridan to collect and touch down 10 yards from the posts. The easiest kick so far is missed by Sheridan! 8-4 to Hornets.

8:02 Hornets kick-off and Batley knock on somewhere in the next set of six. Hornets move the ball quickly from the scrum and Wayne McHugh hits the line at pace scoring wide out. Ayres misses another difficult conversion and it’s 12-4 to Hornets.

8:05 Virtually straight from the Batley kick-off a superb break by Robinson, followed up by Ayres and then finished off by Steve Gartland under the posts. What a strong combination they make at hooker, scrum-half and stand-off. Ayres doesn’t miss the easy conversion. 18-4 to Hornets.

A scrappy bit of play sees Hornets let off when Batley on the attack throw it into touch.

Hornets play out the 6 and kick down field, it touches a Batley player as it is kicked, a rather harsh decision is given against Hornets for not allowing the receiver 10 metres, Batley back on the attack from the resulting penalty.

A couple of attacks later sees Kris Lythe throw a dummy which enable him to walk through a rather large gap to score under the posts. Sheridan adds the conversion. 18-10 to Hornets.

The resulting kick-off end up with a superb 40-20 from Batley, fortunately time runs out on Batley and they only get to play 1 tackle.

The referee blows for half-time. No hooter for the A-team!

8:37 Batley kick-off .

Batley are penalised for an innocuous high tackle. For some reason a fight breaks out behind the two involved with the tackle and suddenly a rather large melee of players and the referee and the 2 touch judges are all involved.

Batley’s hooker Kris Lythe goes straight down the tunnel. No yellow card here. Was it for the first tackle? Or the afters? Not sure, but after 4 minutes of the second half it’s 18-10 to Hornets and 13-12 in player numbers!

As in many previous cases the twelve men rally to produce their best rugby of the game. Somehow the 12 men from Batley manage to go in at the corner! The conversion is missed and it’s 18-14 to Hornets. They know they have a game now!

As is so often in the game of rugby league, Hornets make a mistake with a knock-on but Batley return the favour immediately with their winger being pushed into touch.

It’s all Batley, if I were a betting man, I wouldn’t be putting my money on Hornets.

Once again Batley’s winger Danny Mills shows some real pace, but credit Hornets as they manage to hold him up on his back. Could that be the let off Hornets need?

It’s only 8:52!

Hornets manage their first attack of the second half. Wayne McHugh drops the ball (under pressure) out wide but for some reason Hornets get a penalty in front of the posts! Apparently talking back to the referee? Ayres accepts the gift horse and slots it over. 20-14 to Hornets. Yes a couple of lucky incidents surely mean that Hornets will go one to win the game? You need luck in this game!

8:55 Hornets defend on their own line. Somehow Hornets end up with a penalty for crossing when they have the ball? Anyway it relieves the pressure.

Both teams play out their set of 6.

8:57 It’s all Batley, the linesman enters the affray, what has he seen? Don’t know but it ends with Darren Robinson spending 10 minutes in the sin-bin. Obviously Darren has an opinion on this, that he’s not afraid to share with anybody who will listen. So about half an hour gone and it’s 12-12 in playing staff and 20-14 to Hornets.

It’s still all Batley who are throwing it form one side of the pitch to the other. Hornets make a substitution.

Batley have a penalty and Chris Hough elects to take the chance and hits it between the posts. 20-16 , Batley must be confident with the decision to take the 2 points.

Another superb move sees Batley’s Chris Haywood score a try and it’s converted by Hough, 22-20! Now it will show what Hornets are made of!

9:07 10 minutes to go, Robinson about to re-enter the game. Hornets kick-off, Batley move the ball forward, a drop goal from Chris Hough 23-20! Must have been from at least 40 yards. Bugger, Bugger, and Bugger. I’ve got the same feeling when Oldham beat us in the semi-final last year.

9:08 Robinson re-joins the rest of the team. How we have missed the Gartland/ Ayres/ Robinson interaction. Here it goes again, Ayres to Gartland to Robinson but he is dragged down 10m short and loses the ball. Greta effort from the Batley man as he is left injured.

I must point out that Batley have certainly done their homework on Darren Robinson, it was clearly audible in the first half that they knew all about him and he was certainly getting “special” attention.

My man of the match for Batley is between Danny Mills and Chris Hough, how quickly does a M.O.M. performance turn sour, Mills running the ball out of defence(as he has done all the game) drops the ball in the tackle! Could this be Hornets chance?

Hornets play out their six and throw it wide to the right wing, a little chip is caught by the Batley man who is stood a yard from the touchline and so is bundled into touch.

9:13 5 minutes at the most left.

Hornets attack the Batley line and Martin Bunce gets the ball land heads straight for the posts. Suddenly everyone is interested! Three Hornets players fight amongst themselves to be there for the Bunce offload. Wayne McHugh wins the race and dashes in from 2 yards!!! Right under the posts!!!

Ayres converts 26-23. It’s surely all over.

The press man of the match is announced. Chris Hough of Batley!

The ref. blows the whistle for the end of the match, and they are dancing in the streets of Brimrod tonight! Hornets could only have scored with a minute to go.

Batley are given a standing ovation as they leave the field.

The presentation

A-team captain Rob Hall lifts the trophy followed by the rest of the team (again to great applause from the fans).

Conclusion

Hornets raced into the lead and were very tidy and professional afterwards. Batley played some superb flowing rugby but this also meant many unforced errors. These errors cost Batley the game. If it was football, it was 1-0 to the Arsenal!

The Law cup and now the Spring cup, what next?

Onward Hornets Onward