BRADFORD BULLDOGS kept their run of ball hockey success for the season going when they won the Under-13 title at the National Finals in Rotherham.

The Under-10s came close to matching that success but were edged out in the final by Nottingham, while the Under-16s were unlucky not to progress after losing only one of their four games.

The Under-13s got their bid for glory underway in impressive fashion when a Danny Harrison hat-trick, a Sam Bain double and a marker from Frank O’Sullivan saw them to a comfortable 6-1 win over Sheffield Steelers.

A Harrison double then gave then saw them edge out Nottingham 2-1 before a second meeting between the two saw them win 6-1, Harrison (3), O’Sullivan (2) and Leo Marsden getting on the board.

Into the final and the Under-13s proved just as ruthless against Sheffield, Harrison (3), O’Sulivan (2) and Bain finding the net in a 6-1 triumph.

Earlier in the day, the Under-10s got their schedule off to a winning start with a 3-1 win over Sheffield, Kyle Bower (2) and Timur Sprogis getting the goals.

A 5-2 defeat to Nottingham followed, with Camron Helliwell and Harry Clarke finding the net for the Bulldogs before they bounced back with a 3-0 win over South Leeds Rams, a Bower double helping them on their way, along with another strike from Clarke.

That was enough to earn them a place in the final where, despite a goal from Bower, they went down 2-1 to Nottingham.

The Under-16s proved tough to beat in their competition, but also found wins hard to come by, finishing the day with three draws and a solitary defeat.

An eight-goal thriller with Sheffield got the ball rolling with Ethan Daintith (2), Frank O’Sullivan and Daragh Spawforth among the goals.

Spawforth was on target twice in the 2-2 draw which followed against Nottingham, but a 2-1 defeat followed against Sheffield, with Daintith getting the Bulldogs’ goal. A 0-0 stalemate with Nottingham brought their bid to an end.

Elsewhere, having clinched the Under-12 North league title the previous weekend, Bradford Bulldogs ensured they finished the regular season campaign with their unbeaten record intact - but it was a close-run thing.

Leeds Junior Knights proved a tougher nut to crack second time around, this time playing host at Elland Road Ice Arena a week after they had lost out 8-0 to the Bulldogs in Bradford.

In the end, there was only one goal to separate the two teams, captain Will Durgan striking the deciding blow with 44.42 on the clock.

In a tight, keenly-contested game, it was Bulldogs’ Nathan Mitchell who had broken the deadlock at 10.30, the visitors doubling their lead through Billy Simpson just over five minutes later.

But the hosts came roaring back, halving the deficit through Harry Marshall at 29.33 before levelling the game just 12 seconds into the third period through Zach Taylor.

Mitchell doubled his tally and restored the Bulldogs’ lead at 34.05 but again the Knights charged back to make it all-square again when Evan Bradon found a way past Jacob Mardell with 37.00 on the clock.

That was how it looked like remaining until Durgan pounced in his final shift of the game to ensure a 13th win of the campaign, taking the Bulldogs into this weekend’s eagerly-anticipated Nationals at Ice Sheffield on a winning note.

The Under-14s go into their final weekend of the regular season knowing they need to win both games in order to reach their own age-group Nationals event in Ice Sheffield on May 21-22.

A Saturday evening trip to Manchester Storm - where four points are on the line - is followed by a visit from second-placed Sheffield 24 hours later.

Saturday saw a visit from unbeaten leaders Nottingham to Little Horton Lane and despite a great start by the hosts, the East Midlands team eventually showed just why they have been head and shoulders above everyone else with a 10-7 victory.

The Bulldogs got off to a dream start when captain Daragh Spawforth and Danny Harrison had them 2-0 ahead with just 65 seconds on the clock.

But the visitors went in at the first break 3-2 ahead through goals from Alex Rushby, Dylan Hughes and Ewan Woodward.

A second strike from Woodward at 18.11 made it 4-2 only for Spawforth to make it a one-goal game again less than two minutes later.

Only 47 seconds had passed, however, when Nottingham made it 5-3 through Leland Stevens, their advantage stretched to three when Alex Rushby struck on the breakaway with a shorthanded effort at 23.10, his hat-trick marker two minutes later putting his side firmly in control at 7-3.

Harrison finished off a neat play to close the gap at 26.37 and although the hosts went on to score three more goals in the final 15 minutes the visitors had an answer every time.

Will Durgan gave the hosts hope when he fired home from distance to make it 7-5 with just under seven minutes remaining, but Rushby continued to be a thorn in the hosts’ side when he scored his fourth at 38.22.

Frank O’Sullivan got on the board to make it 8-6 at 40.06 but, just 33 seconds later, it was cancelled out, Rushby again the scorer before Alfie Langridge struck to make it 10-6 at 41.02.

O’Sullivan doubled his tally with a power play strike at 42.51 but there was to be no way back for the Bulldogs.