The Bradford Union ended their season after finishing fifth in the Yorkshire Inter-District Union Team Championship on Sunday.

Tim Wade’s men were hoping to regain the trophy for the first time since 2007, where they won on home turf at Shipley.

Bradford had been on a three-match winning streak going into the event, with victories over Halifax-Huddersfield, Harrogate and East Riding to make them one of the favourites to take home the trophy.

But they were unable to replicate that form at the Wynyard Golf Club with a combined total of 892 between their six players over the two rounds.

Nigel Colbeck, of Cleckheaton, was the star performer for Bradford, carding a 71 and 72.

But second-round scores of 79 for Calum Hey and Matthew Atter cost them dear as Sheffield pipped York to the crown by nine shots.

“We were well prepared for the event but we had two rounds of 79 and 78 and that really cost us,” said team captain Wade.

“We were only five shots off third in the end, though, which would have been a good result from us considering the strength of both Sheffield and York.”

Despite that setback in their final competition of the year, Wade is optimistic about their chances of success in 2014 after finishing third in the league.

“We’ll be all right next year and we haven’t had a bad season overall this time around.

“It was another rebuilding year for us and we’re starting to make a good solid team which will only get stronger and stronger.

“Players like Calum Hey have come through and we have a fresh nucleus of a really good, young side.

“We’re looking to find even more top young players to join us next year and strengthen us even further.”