There were some interesting results in Round Two of the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup, as 14 Betfred Championship and League One teams were in action at the weekend - either starting out or continuing with their series of group fixtures in their road to Wembley.
Batley kickstarted their Wembley journey with a thrilling home win over West Yorkshire rivals Featherstone, in what was possibly the result of the round – and was courtesy of a dramatic late drop goal by Josh Woods. It would be a gutting defeat on the road for the Rovers after their convincing win over Hunslet last weekend, as the Bulldogs would go on to secure their first home win over Featherstone since 2016 – and now have one group game left to play in their favour.
Meanwhile, Barrow continued their stunning run of form with a gutsy win over Whitehaven in an entertaining and nerve-jangling Cumbrian derby. The result was all square heading into the closing minutes but some clever play from Brad Walker would make way for James Greenwood to touch down and clinch the victory. This result leaves Barrow sitting comfortably in the top spot of Group 1, as they now prepare for another cup competition, when they enter Round Three of the Challenge Cup fixture against Oldham next Saturday.
Over at the FLAIR Stadium, Dewsbury hosted a strong Bradford outfit for their Round Two tie. The game was effectively wrapped up at half-time when Eammon O’Carroll’s side produced an impressive and dominant display, with six tries from six different try-scorers. The final result would then end 40-4, as the confident Bulls continued to build momentum, whilst Dewsbury suffered their second consecutive 1895 Cup defeat and are rooted to the bottom of the table in Group 2.
A travelling Wakefield Trinity side also enjoyed a comfortable win over York Knights in their return to competitive action. Trinity got their 1895 Cup campaign off to a perfect start, capitalising early on in the third minute through Luke Gale who touched down – in what was the beginning of a seven try spectacle on Sunday afternoon. This would include a trademark Lachlan Walmsley hat-trick in his competitive debut for Trinity, and although York managed to get over for a late consolation try, it was too little too late for the Knights.
Halifax would return to winning ways, with a huge 52-12 victory over Rochdale, following their shock loss to League One side Oldham in Round One. ‘Fax led 22-0 at the break, before a late scoring spree would seal an emphatic win - with Gareth Widdop making his Panthers debut for his boyhood club, off the bench.
And Sheffield would prove too strong for Doncaster in their South Yorkshire derby, despite a second-half comeback from the Dons when they fought to try and overturn a 22-6 deficit. But an impressive performance from Kyle Wood with his three try assists and a brace from Oliver Roberts, however, would ultimately seal the win for the Eagles. Both sides are on two points a piece heading into Round Three and the final group fixture of the competition.
AB Sundecks 1895 Cup Round Two results in full:
Round Three’s ties are to be played on Sunday 18 February.
AB Sundecks 1895 Cup Round Three fixtures in full:
- North Wales Crusaders v Widnes Vikings
- Oldham RLFC v Rochdale Hornets
- Newcastle Thunder v Wakefield Trinity
- Hunslet RLFC v Batley Bulldogs
- Keighley Cougars v Bradford Bulls
- Workington Town v Whitehaven RLFC
- Midlands Hurricanes v Sheffield Eagles
The AB Sundecks 1895 Cup Final is part of a Finals Day triple-header at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 8 June, alongside the finals of the Betfred Women's Challenge Cup and Men's 2024 Betfred Challenge Cup Final.
