JOHN Kear was less than impressed by his side's sluggish first half performance at Coventry on Saturday, but they reacted well to his dressing down at the interval to run out comfortable 62-12 winners, scoring 11 tries on the day.

Elliot Minchella starred at the Butts Park Arena, with the temporary captain scoring a wonderful hat-trick and earning himself the man of the match award. Sam Hallas also bagged two fine tries towards the end as Bulls finished with a flourish.

Kear had complained post match that it was "like a party bus" coming down to the game and the visitors certainly looked as if their minds were elsewhere in the opening 10 minutes.

Coventry earned a penalty on halfway and kicked to touch. They got the ball in a great attacking position, and worked the ball wide for Kameron Pearce-Paul to go over on the right. Bingley boy Ben Stead converted to give the hosts a 6-0 lead.

Dane Chisholm should have replied quickly but having done all the hard work by waltzing straight through the middle, he dallied with options either side and got tackled by the covering full back.

The Australian soon made amends though. He broke the line again but looked far more assured second time around. He fed the ball left to Ethan Ryan, who bagged his 20th try of an incredible season. A poor kick by Chisholm meant the Bears remained in front.

Bulls won a penalty after Dalton Grant was held on halfway. Joe Keyes put in a good kick to touch but from the resulting set, a knock on by Brandon Pickersgill wasted a great chance to score.

Replacement George Milton scored minutes later and Pickersgill redeemed his earlier error. He did brilliantly to recover from an awkward bounce and stop a Coventry try to earn his side a penalty.

After Bulls kept possession from the set-piece, Keyes slipped Milton in. He sidestepped the covering defender and went over under the posts, with Chisholm adding the extras.

Ashley Gibson looked to have scored in the corner after Dalton Grant knocked a high Keyes kick down to him, but the referee blew for a forward pass.

However, Bulls soon earned their two try-advantage. Chisholm fed Minchella from close range and he breezed past a missed tackle to go in for an easy try. The successful conversion extended the lead into double figures.

There was some sustained pressure from Coventry at the end of the half but gritty Bulls defence somehow kept them out. The home side's captain, Chris Barratt, was stopped inches from the line seconds before the break.

Bulls made nine handling errors in the first half, with Pickersgill, Chisholm and Liam Johnson among the guilty parties. Kear laid into his side for their sloppiness at the break, and they came out with renewed vigour.

They extended their advantage straight from kick-off. Chisholm worked the ball to replacement Ross Peltier on the right and he used his strength to barge over the line. The scrum half rattled the post with his conversion attempt though.

Two minutes later, Vila Halafihi made a great break to halfway and although he was stopped, the next break through the line saw fellow replacement James Laithwaite glide in for an easy score.

Bulls picked up their third try in seven minutes after Chisholm stabbed a great kick through for Ross Oakes to pick up. He sent a simple pass inside to Minchella who grabbed his second of the day.

Chisholm had now found his range and he converted well from Laithwaite and Minchella's scores to put Bulls 32-6 ahead.

Coventry did well to stop the rot though with a lovely second try. Stead showed a great turn of pace and skill to feed Barratt, who could not miss from close in. Stead sent a flat and hard kick over the posts as Coventry got their dozen.

The hosts switched off again though and Joe Keyes found a huge gap in their line to break through easily and score on the right. Chisholm's kick went straight down the middle to give Bulls a 38-12 lead.

Ross Oakes, who started in place of the injured Lee Smith, looked to have slipped Ryan in for an easy score on the left, but the prolific winger surprised everyone by dropping the ball forward with the line at his mercy.

Coventry then looked to have scored a third after a fine grubber kick, but the referee ruled the ball to have gone out.

Bulls recovered quickly from that scare, and fans were treated to the unlikely sight of a 40m gallop downfield from Liam Kirk. Under pressure from the final man, he tried the offload to release Pickersgill but it was brilliantly intercepted.

With 10 minutes remaining, Chisholm sent a teasing ground kick through. Coventry full back Jason Bass hesitated slightly due to the awkward bounce and Johnson nipped in to score.

Coventry's resolve was broken now and Bulls began to run riot. Sam Hallas shrugged off a couple of half-hearted challenges and dived over spectacularly on the right for their ninth try.

Chisholm's conversion attempt looked to be going miles wide to the left, but he cut across it skilfully and it ended up flying straight through the middle.

Minchella soon bagged his hat-trick after Ryan flew down the left at considerable pace. His pass inside was not perfect, but the captain reeled it in well and crashed over the line. Chisholm converted to make it 56-12.

With the final play of the day, Bulls exposed the Coventry defence yet again. Sam Hallas was fed and he somehow held off the defender, who was by his side the whole way, to go over for the score.

Chisholm, who had made every conversion since hitting the post after Peltier's try, nailed his seventh successive kick to carry Bulls to an eventual 62-12 win in front of 1,465 spectators, a club record for Coventry.

That performance saw Bulls strengthen their position at the top as they recorded their 10th straight Betfred League One victory.

They will hope to add to that at Odsal next Friday evening when they host Newcastle Thunder at 7:45pm.