IN their biggest game of the season so far, Bradford Bulls thrashed Oldham Roughyeds 47-0 at Odsal, booking themselves a place in the Betfred League One play-off final against Leon Pryce’s Workington Town.

Two tries apiece from the prolific Ethan Ryan and Elliot Minchella, as well as masterful displays at half-back from Joe Keyes and Dane Chisholm, helped the hosts to a stunning win.

John Kear’s side were clear favourites to win yesterday, having beaten Oldham twice during the regular season.

However, the pressure appeared to be a factor in their home defeats to York and Workington Town and defeat would have finished Bulls’ season once and for all.

Oldham performed with plenty of skill and determination early on, which led to a stalemate in the opening 15 minutes.

The first error was a bad drop under a hanging ball from Jy Hitchcox, which gave the visitors a scrum inside the Bradford 22.

However, a poor grubber kick by Oldham’s Paul Crook was taken by Bulls, who broke away before winning a penalty, which was kicked to halfway.

The ball was then worked wide right but Bulls centre Ashley Gibson knocked on near the line.

Exciting young Oldham winger Lee Kershaw won a penalty on the left to earn Oldham great field position.

The ball was scrambled away on the try line but an infringement had been committed and Oldham got a new set.

A crucial interception by hot prospect Matty Storton saw Bulls survive that brief onslaught and they then proceeded to break the deadlock.

Keyes almost broke the line with neat footwork before Bulls won a penalty for offside. The stand-off went on to take the kick himself and put the Bulls 2-0 up.

Putting points on the board appeared to give Bradford a boost and they soon scored their opening try.

Chisholm clipped the ball out to the left and Ryan, among a posse of Oldham defenders, timed his jump to perfection. He took a great catch before running round near the posts to touch down.

Keyes slammed his conversion off the post and Oldham had a chance to draw level straight after, but centre Matt Reid dropped the ball running at pace on the Bulls’ 22.

A foul on Hitchcox saw Bulls win a penalty and they made the visitors pay for that bout of ill-discipline.

They worked the ball around in the centre before Keyes managed to drive through a huge gap to go over for an easy score.

He converted his own kick with ease to put his side 12-0 in front.

Replacement George Flanagan broke the line and with his side two-on-one, he looked for the offload.

He was brought down at the last by a shuddering tackle from the covering defender though and Oldham survived.

Bulls knocked on in their own half and gifted the visitors great field position. Scrum-half David Hewitt clipped a kick to Kershaw, who twisted over the line, but was held up by fine defence.

Oldham were then hit by a double blow just before the break and it was Ross Peltier, who shone off the interchange bench, that was heavily involved in both.

He worked hard to maintain possession in the centre before the ball was worked back to Chisholm. The Australian slotted the drop goal to make it 13-0.

Then, Peltier used his power to drive over the line right on the hooter after good work down the inside left. Keyes converted to put Bradford 19-0 up at the break.

It was a quiet start to the second half, with just two points in the first 12 minutes. The Roughyeds’ Phillip Joy conceded a penalty and Keyes nailed the kick to take his side into the 20s.

Oldham cranked up the pressure and saw Crook held up over the line and that proved important as Bulls went on to completely put Oldham out of the contest.

Keyes slipped the ball to Steve Crossley, who almost barrelled over himself before Minchella made sure.

Keyes converted that one and it was the stand-off who broke away at pace moments later. Minchella was on his shoulder to score a second, and a successful conversion put Bulls 33-0 in front.

It began to turn into a massacre. Oldham completely left the right side free and Chisholm's fine kick was caught in acres of space by Hitchcox, who strolled over with ease for a converted try.

Barely a minute later, Chisholm broke down the left. He fed Ryan who sprinted from halfway to go in at the corner.

The conversion was unsuccessful on this occasion, but that eight-minute spell of four tries completely ended the game as a contest.

Keyes broke down the right looking for his second, but was brought down in full flight by the covering full back.

David Eccleston then almost added a consolation for Oldham, but the final pass was too high and he failed to reel it in.

The final try was special though. Minchella made a brilliant run before being knocked off balance five metres from the line. He managed to offload while falling, and Gibson scooped up for a try.

Oldham’s ill-disciplined display in defence soon spilled over into aggression. Matty Garside was the victim of a high tackle and after a melee, perpetrator Gareth Owen was sin-binned.

Peltier was yellow-carded for his part in the brawl and there were two more chances with both sides a man down.

Returning full back Gregg McNally was held up over the line before determined Bulls defence in the last 90 seconds saw Joy knock the ball forward with the line at his mercy.

That meant Bulls maintained their clean sheet and booked a final next week against their nemesis.

Workington beat Doncaster 30-18 in the other semi-final to set up that mouth-watering final at Odsal.

Bulls were denied automatic promotion thanks to their two defeats against Leon Pryce’s men during the regular season.

Can John Kear’s side make it third time lucky on the biggest stage of all?