By Ian Golden at Stebonheath Park
BRADFORD Bulls kept the pressure up on York City Knights after a convincing 104-0 win at West Wales Raiders on Sunday (Sept 9).
The crowd of 826, the largest for a single club game in South Wales for over six years (there have been bigger crowds for double and triple headers), saw largely one-way traffic as the Bulls looked to improve their points difference.
Typically it was the Welsh international on the Bradford side, Dalton Grant, who gave his side the lead, diving in the corner on two minutes. Joe Keyes converted.
Raiders were close to levelling. Dean Higgs dived over a batch of Bulls as he attempted to ground under the sticks, but unfortunately for the home side, he knocked on in the process.
Bradford soon doubled their advantage, Elliot Minchella running in under the sticks and Keyes converting again.
Keyes created the next try, which he converted, palming the ball off to Callum Buston who forced his way over.
Following a penalty, Bradford scored their fourth try. Tuoyo Egodo set up Ethan Ryan to score in the corner. Keyes converted.
Minchella stole from Sam Baker on a one on one for Bradford’s fifth try, that Keyes again converted to make it 30-0 on 20 minutes.
After Bradford won their sixth penalty, they got their sixth try, Jy Hitchcox running over and Keyes converting.
After Dalton Desmond-Walker was close to getting Raiders on the board, losing the ball when diving over the line, Bradford scored again after Steve Crossley picked up a loose ball, Keyes having no issue with the conversion. 42-0 on 30 minutes.
Raiders had another spell of possession and again looked for a try. However Bradford held out and when they when back on the attack, they scored again through Ross Peltier with Gregg McNally quickly bringing up the half century. Keyes converted both and Bradford went into half-time 54-0 to the good.
It took Bradford just three second half minutes to get their tenth try, Matt Storton running through and Keyes converting.
Grant and Hitchcox both quickly their second tries of the game with Keyes missing both goal attempts, bringing the score up to 68-0 on 50 minutes.
Ryan scored his second, and Bradford’s 13th on 58 minutes, with Keyes converting well on that occasion, but was unable to land the extras when McNally got his second try, that one coming in the 63rd minute.
Jordan Lilley added Bradford’s 15th try, which went unconverted, before Minchella brought up his hat-trick with ten minutes remaining, scoring under the posts which made Keyes kick easier to make it 88-0.
Buston’s second of the match, again converted by Keyes, brought the score up to 94-0. Dane Chisholm’s try, which looked to have scored following a knock-on, followed by Keyes’ conversion, ensured that the Raiders had conceded 100 points for the sixth time this season.
Bradford weren’t finished yet. Hitchcox’s second try of the day and Bradford’s 18th completed the scoring.
Raiders: 3 Kurtis Haille, 19 Rowland Kaye, 18 Craig Lewis, 24 Nye Walker, 2 Liam Silver, 5 Sam Baker, 6 Luke Williams, 13 Alan Pope, 15 Dean Higgs, 10 Morgan Evans, 20 Archie Snook, 11 Callum Mulkeen, 12 Harrison Elliott. Subs: 14 Dalton Desmond-Walker, 22 Macauley Harris, 26 James Walter, 8 Connor Parker.
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