Dewsbury Rams 31, Bradford Bulls 30

OF ALL the indignities heaped on the Bulls in recent times, this was one of the most humiliating.

Beaten by a bunch of part-timers who fought as if their lives depended on it from start to finish and ran out worthy victors.

The effort of the Bulls could not be questioned but, sadly, they were no better than their hosts and crashed out of the Challenge Cup at the first hurdle.

So Bradford, for so long the standard-bearers of Super League, now find themselves humbled by little Dewsbury.

That is not something you would ever expect to hear but perhaps the bitterest pill to swallow was that defeat came as no real surprise.

Glenn Morrison's men were up for this one all right and Paul Sykes, who converted all of the Rams' tries, applied the match-winning drop-goal with seven minutes remaining.

He was not the only former Bradford man to make his mark on this match – Nathan Conroy, Joel Farrell and Jason Crookes all played their part too.

But this was a richly-deserved team effort and Morrison's star will rise after such a monumental result.

The Bulls were not helped by the first-half loss to injury of Rhys Lovegrove and Kris Welham but serious question marks will be asked of their promotion pedigree after this humiliation.

Bradford's teamsheet showed three changes from the side held at Batley six days ago.

James Clare switched to full back in place of the rested Richie Mathers and Etu Uaisele made his first appearance of the season on the wing.

With Adam O'Brien also given the night off, Danny Addy assumed the pivotal hooking role, affording Oscar Thomas the opportunity to impress in the halves alongside Lee Gaskell.

Dewsbury lost prop Toby Adamson to an apparent injury in the sixth minute and he was replaced by Kyle Trout.

Moments later, a high bomb from Sykes saw Clare catch the ball, only for Dewsbury to trap him in the in-goal area and force a drop-out.

More impressive goal-line defence was required to keep the Rams out as they went close again, but the opening exchanges ebbed and flowed before the Bulls led inside the ninth minute.

Addy made a delightful break inside the right channel, driving at the heart of the Dewsbury defence and showing impressive speed and strength to break the line and intelligence to send a deft grubber kick into the right corner.

Omari Caro, a reliable sources of tries this season, arrived at pace to touch down for a try which Addy could not convert.

That early score poured confidence into the Bulls and Thomas appeared prepared to use his kicking skills at every opportunity.

Bradford struggled to find a kicking game at Batley last weekend but Thomas' left boot gave them a different dimension at times last night.

"We're Bradford Bulls, we're on our way back," came the cry from the raucous away following.

Yet Dewsbury – not suddenly but systematically – took the game by the scruff of the neck and went 18-4 up with three quality scores.

They also forced four goal-line drop-outs during the game, which again said much.

In the 18th minute, the Rams' vibrancy was rewarded when Sykes' exquisite long pass found Dalton Grant in the left corner and he touched down in clinical fashion.

Sykes, who enjoyed a fine game, added a superb touchline conversion and now it was Dewsbury with confidence surging through their veins.

Moments later, Lovegrove appeared to take a knock to the head and was soon helped off looking rather groggy to say the least.

He was replaced by Mitch Clark, who ran with aggression in his first carry, earning the Bulls a penalty which they could not make pay.

Indeed, an awful pass from Thomas inside Dewsbury's 20-metre line went straight to Sykes and the former England international immediately tore upfield.

The Rams used the field position to devastating effect as the ball was worked out to Dale Morton, who finished well in the right corner.

Uaisele made a desperate attempt to stop him scoring but it was to no avail and his try was again converted with aplomb from the touchline by the educated boot of Sykes.

It immediately got worse for the Bulls as Welham had to be helped off the field by physio Jo McGilchirst in clear discomfort after sustaining a back injury.

That was a serious blow to lose Lovegrove and Welham in quick succession and meant the Bulls had to play over 50 minutes with 15 men.

Dewsbury smelt blood and grabbed a third try in the 31st minute when boyhood Bulls fan Conroy, who impressed off the bench at hooker for the Rams, was instrumental in a deft handling sequence.

The hosts worked the ball through five pairs of hands in a sweeping move which culminated in Morton touching down in the right corner for his second try.

At 18-4 down and having lost two men to injury, the Bulls were staring at disaster.

Yet their response was to be admired as they hit back in just the manner Jimmy Lowes would have wished for.

Lumb made an immediate impact off the bench by scoring his first try in Bradford colours and what a sweet moment it was.

Jay Pitts and Gaskell combined brilliantly to find Clare before Lumb finished things off by barrelling under the posts from close range.

Addy added the simple conversion and the momentum swung in Bradford's favour, Dale Ferguson swatting Dewsbury defenders aside with a barnstorming run before a wayward pass to a home player.

Yet the pressure continued and, two minutes before half-time, Gaskell found Addy, who brilliantly dummied his way past an opponent and crossed the line.

He converted to make it 18-16 at the break – but the Bulls made a sluggish start to the second half and were punished when Farrell was tackled high.

From the subsequent penalty, Conroy's smart pass sent replacement Jack Teanby over the line and Sykes' fourth goal from as many attempts made it 24-16 in the 44th minute.

The Bulls were in deep trouble here but once again they fashioned the kind of response that deserves and usually gets it rewards.

Sure enough, in the 51st minute, Addy's last-tackle grubber kick was touched down by Blythe in the left corner.

Six minutes later, Olbison outmuscled the Dewsbury defence to power over inside the right channel after good work from Gaskell and Addy.

The turnaround continued on the hour when Blythe spun out of a tackle and scored in the left corner again.

Yet Addy could only convert three of his side's six tries and that always gave Dewsbury a sniff.

Indeed, they continued to probe and were rewarded in the 69th minute when a kick fell into the path of loose forward Aaron Brown, who touched down under the sticks for a try which Sykes converted.

Then, four minutes later, Sykes landed a superb drop-goal from 30 metres out to settle a fascinating encounter and leave Bradford winless in three games.

Attendance: 2,021