Bradford Bulls suffer dire defeat to York on real off day

Unfortunately, the middle hour proved to be the problem, as the uncharacteristically sloppy visitors slid to a thoroughly deserved 25-14 defeat.

Out-thought and out-fought by the Betfred Championship's bottom side, and badly missing Dan Smith after his withdrawal with a tight hamstring just before kick-off, it was a day to write off for Bradford.

That’s before even getting to Chester Butler’s hip injury, which fortunately seems to be an impact blow more than anything else, and fellow second row Zac Fulton being forced off with a knock to the head after a try-saving tackle.

Yet it started so well for Bulls in their attempt to make it a fourth league win a row, as they opened the scoring inside the first 10 minutes.

The disruption of having to replace Dan Smith with Fenton Rogers in the starting line up at the last minute did not appear to affect Bulls initially. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

Crucially, they were awarded a six again 10 metres out following a defensive error by the hosts as they tackled Jorge Taufua.

Bradford worked the ball left to right, then back again and after Jordan Lilley's cute kick to the corner, Taufua flicked a pass back to Butler.

The second row then fed Kieran Gill, who bundled his way over the line, despite some slight suspicions on the grounding.

Lilley snatched his conversion wide to the left and from there it was all downhill.

Bulls soon conceded a soft try to the hosts off the back of a soft error from makeshift half-back John Davies, who knocked on under no real pressure 30 metres from his own line.

Jordan Thompson's pass to the left was poor, but with no pressure on Jimmy Keinhorst five metres out, he was still able to scoop the ball off the floor to scamper through unchallenged to score.

Myles Harrison converted emphatically from the left to put York in front.

It soon became even messier for Bulls, as Liam Harris sent a lethal high bomb in the air just before he was taken out late by Eribe Doro.

Taufua got his attempt to catch the ball all wrong, knocking on, and in an attempt to reduce the damage, the visitors gifted York a penalty in front of the posts.

Harrison made no mistake with the simplest of tasks, knocking the Knights 8-4 ahead.

A crunching tackle from Taufua on poor Charlie Severs, which forced the York centre off for a HIA, did not prove to be a momentum shift, and an increasingly poor day from Bulls continued as they conceded their second try of the game.

Thompson did not look to have much momentum to the left of the posts a few metres out, but he slipped too easily through a gap and crashed over to score.

Harrison converted the extras easily enough to stretch the home lead into double figures.

Bulls head coach Eamon O’Carroll admitted after the match his side were lucky to only be 10 points behind at the break, but York increased that advantage just moments into the second half.

The returning Ben Blackmore was forced to knock on to save a try and when the ball was worked out to the right for Harris from the resulting scrum, he found it too easy to bounce off the tackler and flop over the line.

Butler then hurt his hip in the tackle driving towards the line, and he was replaced by Tyran Ott, who almost immediately cost his side a try, albeit unluckily.

Chester Butler's injury looked a bad one on the field, but his head coach Eamon O'Carroll suggested after the game that it was just an extremely uncomfortable bang on the hip and nothing too serious. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

He flung an errant pass to the left which was intercepted by Harris, who juggled, caught the ball, and ran 90 metres to slide over under the posts, leaving Harrison with an easy two-pointer.

York added an extra point with 20 minutes to go, moments after Fulton had made a brave tackle a couple of metres out, taking a blow to the head in doing so.

O’Carroll admitted after the match that the Aussie does not remember the incident, meaning he will surely miss next week’s home league game against Widnes.

When play resumed on the last tackle after Fulton had left the field for Doro, Harris stayed calm and slotted over an easy drop goal from in front of the posts.

After Mitch Souter and Taufua had been superbly held up over the line, Bulls made it third time lucky as Lilley dabbed a kick through and the ball fell nicely for Eliot Peposhi, who celebrated his new two-year deal with the club by getting over for his first-ever Championship try.

This late try was a nice personal moment for Eliot Peposhi, but it meant very little otherwise. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

York took their eye off the ball again with a couple minutes to go, letting Davies slip through.

He drew the last man, before slipping in Aidan McGowan to score.

A poor conversion attempt from Lilley summed up his and Bulls’ afternoon, as he rushed his kick and sent it wide, bringing an end to his side's miserable away day.

YORK: Harrison, Brown, Severs, Keinhorst, Lineham, Pemberton, Harris, Ta’ai, Jubb, Fitzsimmons, Gannon, Bailey, Thompson. Interchanges: Teanby, Michael, Daley, Reynolds. 18th man: Towse.

BULLS: McGowan, Blackmore, Arundel, Gill, Taufua, Davies, Lilley, Doro, Souter, Rogers, Fulton, Butler, Hallas. Interchanges: Appo, Wilson, Ott, Peposhi.

BULLS MAN OF THE MATCH: Jorge Taufua.