Yorkshire Cup semi-final: Bradford Bulls 20 Dewsbury Rams 18

BRADFORD Bulls fans, backroom staff and players have a K2 Yorkshire Cup final to look forward to.

The Bulls won a see-saw semi-final at a cold and windy Odsal on Saturday night, taking the lead for the final time with a Rowan Milnes penalty in the 68th minute and then defending solidly, aided by some good game management by the half-back.

The chief worry for head coach John Kear was the sight of prop Callum Bustin being taken off on a stretcher in the first half not long after coming on.

It was initially thought that his lower leg was broken but it later transpired not to be a break.

The Bulls, who split their resources between this match and Sunday’s Michael Lawrence testimonial at Huddersfield Giants, played towards the hospitality suite in the first half and won the initial penalty, which they made count.

Dewsbury, meanwhile, fielded a side that contained about two-thirds of the squad that are likely to start their Championship opener.

Impressive hooker Matt Wildie spotted a gap in the Rams defence in the fourth minute and, a couple of plays later, Elliot Minchella dived over on the right, with Joe Keyes adding the goal before going off with a recurrence of a back spasm.

It then needed a good tackle by Rams left winger Dale Morton to prevent Josh Rickett from scoring as the visitors were pinned in their half under a drizzle which was blowing strongly into their faces.

Dewsbury’s first threat to the home line came in the 14th minute when a kick was spilled but the Bulls had enough cover to shove right winger Rob Worrincy into touch.

However, the Bulls conceded the next penalty, and Rams loose forward Michael Knowles was only denied a try by a double movement as the first quarter drew to a close.

Play was then concentrated in the Rams half, and particularly in the area between their 20-metre line and halfway, and visiting scrum half Lewis Heckford was the next player to knock on the tricky conditions.

Bustin departed in the 26th minute after careful medical attention.

He was replaced by Trae O’Sullivan, with the Bulls already without injured props Steve Crossley and Ross Peltier, who are both recovering from surgery.

Stern defence by the Bulls then kept out the visitors in the 32nd minute, who could not quite profit from a penalty.

The increasingly-dominant visitors were not denied for long though as centre Adam Ryder broke through three minutes later and found former Bull Paul Sykes on his shoulder.

The experienced stand-off then added the goal and, just before the hooter, Heckford scored from a Sykes grubber.

Sykes then landed the kick to put the Rams 12-6 in front but Wildie gave the Bulls the inspiration they needed at the start of the second half, winning a penalty and then playing at such speed that the Rams could not cope as winger Rhys Evans went over.

Stand-off Milnes’ conversion made it 12-12, and they went in front minutes later with a try by Minchella after good work by full back Brandon Pickersgill and Wildie.

Milnes again added the goal to make it 18-12.

Sykes was then sin-binned, after a discussion between the referee and a touch judge, for a crusher tackle on Minchella, but the numbers were evened up when a baffled George Flanagan took a ten-minute breather for the same offence.

Dewsbury forced the game’s first goal-line drop-out in the 61st minute and cashed in when a Jacob Thomas grubber was pounced on by prop Owen Harrison.

Morton added the goal to level matters at 18-18 but the hosts took a lead that they would hang onto seven minutes later with a Milnes penalty.

If this had been a pre-season friendly, the Bulls may have opted for a kick to touch but there was a semi-final to be won and Milnes popped over what proved to be the winning goal.

Kear’s side then defended stoutly, never really giving the Rams a sniff, and Milnes twice kept them on the back foot by drilling kicks into the visitors’ right-hand corner.

The Bulls will play Batley Bulldogs or York City Knights in the final next weekend on a day and venue to be announced.

Bulls: Pickersgill; Rickett, Evans, Oakes, Ryan; Milnes, Keyes; Kirk, Wildie, J Green, Farrell, Minchella, Wood. Interchange: Bustin, Flanagan, Hodgson, O’Sullivan, C Green (not used), Scurr, Culling (not used).

Rams: Thomas; Worrincy, Leeming, Ryder, Morton; Sykes, Heckford; Jode Sheriffe, Ward, Harrison, Walshaw, Igbinedion, Knowles. Interchanges: Day, Gabriel, King, Mackay, Richardson, Ray, Garratt.

Referee: Marcus Griffiths.

Attendance: 1,235.