Batley Bulldogs claimed the Heavy Woollen bragging rights with a hard-fought 10-4 triumph at Dewsbury Rams – with the Giants’ five on-loan youngsters to the fore.
Pete Aspinall, Ben Blackmore, Jake Connor, Josh Johnson and Nathan Mason all gained valuable game time and contributed positively to the cause.
Full-back Connor and winger Blackmore played the full 80 minutes – with England academy ace Connor grabbing the opening try – and back-row forward Aspinall had the first 50 minutes before returning for the final 10.
Substitute forwards Johnson and Mason also made their presence felt during strong-looking spells in what proved a typically-fierce Boxing Day derby in front of a 2,346 crowd, which forced the kick-off to be delayed for 15 minutes.
Not that the fans who turned up were disappointed.
The opening half couldn’t have been tighter, with chances few and far between. In fact, it took 38 minutes for the deadlock to be broken when Scott Leatherbarrow’s high kick was collected superbly by Connor to dive over.
Lee Paterson failed to add the conversion, but at 4-0 at the break the visitors had the slight advantage.
Yet such was the closeness of the encounter that it was no surprise when the Rams hit back to level the scores 12 minutes after the restart through Dale Morton’s try in the corner, which Ex-Giants utility back Tom Hemingway failed to convert.
Batley finally regaining the lead with five minutes remaining when hooker Luke Blake scored from acting half-back from an inch out and Paterson added the extras.
Dewsbury: Sheriff; Morton, Hale, Beckett! Scott; Hemingway, Thackeray; Nash, Godwin, Hepworth, Spicer, Tonks, Brown. Subs: Wright, Gallagher, Haggerty, Lillyrcrop, Farrell! Robinson, Hyde.
Batley: Connor; Finigan, Bretherton, Patterson, Blackmore; Leak, Leatherbarrow; Smith, Blake, Brennan, Chandler, Aspinall, Leary. Subs: Johnson, Mason, Rowe, Gledhill, Black, Nicholson.
Referee: Dave Merrick.
