Seventh placed Sheffield Eagles and tenth placed Batley Bulldogs were drawn against one another for the chance of a trip to Wembley and the 1895 Cup Final on the 24th August. The Eagles made it this far thanks to a 32-28 win over Doncaster while Batley needed the golden point for a 17-16 win over the York City Knights.
There were wet conditions at the Olympic Legacy Park but the 4G pitch would neutralise the worst of them and an open game was promised.
The Eagles have won both games between these two sides in 2019, most notably by 54-24 when the two sides met in June.
The opening exchanges were end to end, promising an open game. But it took a full twenty-six minutes for the Eagles to wrestle the lead when a Pat Walker grubber was grounded by a flying Joel Farrell to put Sheffield four points ahead. Walker kicked the conversion from wide for 6-0.
A thirty-second minute penalty was kicked by Louis Jouffret from thirty metres narrowed the arrears as tempers started to fray.
Sheffield ended the half with a couple of chances to score but the Bulldogs defence held firm as the hooter sounded.
Tempers frayed again early in the second half, and indication that both sides were keen to get to a Wembley final, but neither side could find a way over their opponents line.
It took twenty-five minutes of the second half for the Eagles register the second halves first points. A Walker short pass to Jake Ogden allowed the centre to go ten metres, bounce off the last tackler, and get the ball on the ground. Walker added the conversion for 12-2.
Oliver Davies put the icing on the Sheffield cake with a couple of minutes remaiing in the game. He took a Thackeray short pass and pushed his way past three tacklers to get the ball on the ground. Walker added the conversion for an 18-2 win.
A hard fought win for the Eagles which will see them return to a Wembley final for the first time since their famous afternoon in 1998 when they ripped up the form boot and beat the perennial Challenge Cup winners, Wigan. Batley threw everything that they had at the Eagles but in difficult conditions they were second best, unable to cross the whitewash against a resolute Eagles defence.
Eagles: Guzdek, Millar, Ogden (T), Hellewell, Blackmore, Walker (3G), Thackeray, Pick, Burns G, Knowles, Farrell (T), Davies (T), Brown. Subs: Mekelim, Broadbent, Mason, Burns P.
Bulldogs: Scott, Reitte, Smeaton, Broadbent, Campbell, Jouffret (G), Brambani, Gledhill, Leak, Dickinson, Downs, Manning, Brierley. Subs: Brown, Bienek, Everett, Wood.
Referee: Gareth Hewer.
Half-Time: 6-2.
Full-Time: 18-2.
Attendance: .
