Batley (10) 18
Tries: Manning, Walton, Brown Goals: Handforth (3)

Huddersfield (10) 28
Tries: Brown, Gilmour, Brough, Wardle, Hodgson, Cudjoe Goals: Brough (2)

Huddersfield needed a late rally and a controversial sending-off of an opposing player to shake off Batley and reach round five of the Challenge Cup.

With 13 minutes left Dane Manning was dismissed for a high challenge on Larne Patrick, and Batley lost their way.

Kevin Brown gave the Giants an early lead before tries by Manning and Jason Walton put the home side in front.

Lee Gilmour levelled before the break, Alex Brown restoring Batley's lead but four late Giants tries won it.

Brown's solo effort gave the visitors a perfect start, but the Championship side struck back with two scores in as many minutes.

Manning claimed his side's first points on 23 minutes when he was on the end of Paul Handforth's defence-splitting pass.

Walton then helped Batley to a deserved 10-6 lead as he rounded off a flowing move involving Ian Preece and Paul Mennell.

Kris Lyth and David Tootill were both held up on the try line as Batley tried to extend their lead, but the Giants weathered the storm and drew level on 33 minutes when Leroy Cudjoe set up Gilmour to score.

After the break, Handforth's kick-through found former Giants winger Brown, who scored, and a conversion and penalty put the home side back in the driving seat.

But Manning's controversial dismissal knocked the stuffing out of the home team and Huddersfield capitalised, as Danny Brough, Joe Wardle and David Hodgson all scored.

In stoppage time, Cudjoe's solo effort gave Huddersfield's margin of victory a more convincing gloss.

Batley coach Karl Harrison:

"It was a great performance. We thought we nearly had it. The lads are devastated in the dressing room because they played a Super League side and had been the better team for most of the game.

"But it's all part of the learning curve. We were perhaps a little naive about killing the game off.

"We worked in training on a few things that we thought would cause Huddersfield problems, and for periods they couldn't cope with us. I'd like to think our performance was a good advert for Championship-level rugby."

Huddersfield coach Nathan Brown:

"They made it really tough for us. We also didn't make things easy for ourselves by making too many mistakes.

"But we never looked back after the sending-off. It was a high tackle, and it proved to be the crucial turning point in the game."

Batley: Preece; Rettie, Walton, Maun, Brown; Handforth, Mennell; Smith, Lythe, Potter, Manning, Bretherton, Lindsey.

Replacements: Flanagan, Buttery, Robinson, Tootill.

Huddersfield: Cudjoe; Lawrence, Wardle, Gilmour, Hodgson; Brown, Brough; Patrick, Lunt, Griffin, Cording, Kirmond, O'Donnell.

Replacements: Wood, Crabtree, Molloy, Fairbank.

Attendance: 2,676.

Referee: Robert Hicks (RFL).

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