Ladbrokes Challenge Cup second round: Millom 24 Bradford Dudley Hill 12

BRADFORD Dudley Hill had a player sent off and three sin-binned during their 24-12 Ladbrokes Challenge Cup defeat at Millom, but first-team manager Steve Wright is confident that it won't signal a return to their dark days.

Second-row forward Anthony Lawton received a yellow card for fighting, while Ryan Dickinson was red-carded for punching, but Wright felt that there were reasons why both players acted as they did.

He explained: "Anthony was sticking up for our hooker Sebastian Russo, who is only 17 and was being shoved and pushed by a lot of over-zealous Millom players after he knocked on near our line.

"Meanwhile, Ryan was tackled so late and dropped on his head that the player that he passed the ball to had already been tackled before Ryan was.

"You don't seem to get many decisions up there, maybe due to the large home crowd and vocal home bench, and Millom even admitted afterwards that we hadn't had a fair crack of the whip.

"But the sin-binnings in the second half to centre Martin Southwell and replacement Kyle Bateman were fair enough, and we will be having a meeting on Thursday where we will again re-iterate the need for discipline."

Hill, who were without key players Dan Lee and Tony Williams, had winger Neil Wall back from suspension and welcomed back the experienced Jamie Brentley on the other wing for a tie at a team who are two divisions below them.

The expected rain held off but the Millom pack were impressive, and the hosts had a 16-0 lead at half-time after tries by hooker Tom Newbiggin, prop Adam Kelly and interchange Connor Mitchell, with scrum half Adam Kelly adding two goals.

However, Hill, despite being two players down at times, hit back with tries by Wall, from a well-judged Simon Sewell cross-field kick, and a dart from Russo, with Sewell adding both goals.

Even though Adam Kelly also landed a penalty, Hill were back in at 18-12 down, but they were killed off by a late Adam Kelly goal and a last-minute try by centre Tyler Lancaster.