Major setback for Bulls as Broncos pull six points ahead

DALE Ferguson’s second-half sin-binning proved costly, but Matt Diskin was honest enough to admit that Bradford’s problems ran deeper than a yellow card.

Bulls second-rower Ferguson incurred the wrath of referee James Child on the hour for leading with his head in a tackle.

Child consulted with his touch judge and gave Ferguson ten minutes in the cooler, with London immediately marching upfield and scoring a decisive try which put the game to bed.

Moreover, the result sealed a sixth successive home league win for Andrew Henderson’s side and put them six points ahead of Bradford in the Championship table.

It is too early to write off the Bulls’ hopes of a top-two finish, but this result was certainly a major setback and it did their top-four prospects no favours either.

And the bitterest pill to swallow was that the result was the right outcome, according to Diskin.

Tellingly, the interim head coach said: “I thought the sin-binning was a poor decision by the touch judge.

"But did the game hinge on it? No, not at all.

“We were very poor in a lot of areas and London fully deserved their win.”

It was a damning assessment from Diskin, who could return to the role of assistant this week if the club appoint a successor to Jimmy Lowes.

Bradford led 14-8 at the break but scored just two points after the restart as London, buoyed by an outstanding performance from Elliot Kear at full back and a collective spirit, ran out worthy victors.

The Bulls’ half-back partnership was made up of two back-rowers in Danny Addy and Kurt Haggerty due to the injury-enforced absence of Lee Gaskell and Adrian Purtell.

James Clare was picked at full back ahead of Oscar Thomas, who was moved into the centres, while Joe Lumb was picked ahead of Adam O’Brien as the starting hooker.

Adam Sidlow returned for the first time since breaking a bone in his hand against Leigh in February and took Dan Fleming’s place in the 17.

There was a significant milestone for Paul Clough as the prop made his 250th career appearance and his 40th for Bradford.

The Trailfinders Sports Club, home of Ealing Trailfinders RUFC, in deepest darkest west London marked new territory for the Bulls.

The nomadic Broncos moved from the Hive in north London to Ealing at the end of last season and have made their new home something of a fortress so far this term.

They had won all of their previous five league games on the Trailfinders’ artificial playing surface and had been averaging a crowd of just over 600

The attendance was swelled significantly by a sizeable contingent of travelling Bulls supporters, who were in good voice throughout.

“What’s it like to see a crowd?” came the chant from the bulk of the Bradford supporters housed behind a stand behind the posts their team was attacking in the first half.

Aided by the award of back-to-back penalties, the Bulls quickly set up camp deep inside London territory and soon forged ahead.

The try came in the fourth minute when, after Tom Olbison, Steve Crossley and Clough had all been denied from close range, the ball was worked out to the channel.

Addy collected a neat pass from Haggerty to go power his way over the line in a diagonal run to the right corner.

Addy could not convert from a difficult angle but the Bulls continued to probe and Lumb was particularly effective from dummy half.

The homegrown hooker was denied as he attempted to burrow over the line on the last tackle.

Indeed, Bradford enjoyed much of the early territory as Steve Crossley and Clough made some big carries up front to keep their side on the front foot.

London were not without a threat at the other end, however, and behind their imposing pack was the artful figure of William Barthau.

Matt Garside was held up on the last tackle before Sidlow and O'Brien came on for Crossley and Lumb.

As the Broncos' attacking threat grew, they struck an equalising try in the minute when Barthau sent a teasing last-grubber kick behind the Bulls' defence and Ben Hellwell arrived to pounce and ground the ball.

It was a sweet moment for the lad from Birkenshaw, who progressed through the youth ranks at Odsal and has supported the Bulls for as long as he can remember.

Hellewell, who played his amateur rugby with Dudley Hill and Drighlington, spent time in the Bradford academy before moving on to Warrington and reinventing himself at London.

But the Bulls were back in front when London were penalised and for obstruction and the visitors advanced upfield before Haggerty's pass sent Welham over the line inside the left channel.

Yet London soon hit back again when Kear, who supported the attack superbly all afternoon, threw an exquisite long cut-out pass out to Rhys Williams and the winger ran in unopposed in the left corner.

With Addy and Barthau both failing to convert their team’s first two scores, it was 8-8 heading into half-time.

Clare and Thomas were denied on the back of another penalty before Mitch Clark went close before Thomas dropped the ball with the line begging.

Omari Caro then knocked on but London were almost immediately penalised for obstruction and replacement Alex Mellor tore upfield in a delightful break.

He was denied but Welham was on hand to collect possession and squeeze over the line for his second try of the match and 13th of the season.

Three minutes after the restart, Broncos replacement Andy Ackers outmuscled the Bradford defence to power over the line but yet again Barthau faltered with the conversion attempt.

Yet the Broncos were soon level as Barthau booted a penalty to make it 14-14 after the Bulls were caught offside at a goal-line drop-out.

London forced another drop-out soon after and Ackers was held up but Addy gave the visitors some much-needed breathing space moments later when he produced a brilliant 40-20.

The tactical manoeuvre which so often leads to a try did not this time but it did harvest another Bradford penalty after Welham was caught high.

“Take the two” was the message from the Bulls’ coaching team on the sidelines and Addy did just that to make it 16-14 with 25 minutes remaining.

In a game of such fine margins, it was exactly the right thing to do.

But it proved to be in vein as London hit back when Ackers powered over the line once again after fine work from Iliess Macani and Jon Magrin.

Jack Bussey added the extras and then Ferguson was sinbinned on the hour.

From the subsequent penalty, London scored immediately as Kear’s pass sent Williams over the line inside the left channel again.

Bussey could not convert from a difficult angle but London’s tails were up and Bradford were facing a mountainous task.

With eight minutes remaining, Bradford conceded on the back of another penalty as hooker James Cunningham burrowed his way over the line from dummy half and Bussey converted.