Bradford Bulldogs short on numbers but not spirit as Telford Tigers get back into pole position

TOUGH TASK: Bradford Bulldogs lost 7-0 on their second visit of the season to leaders Telford Tigers.

NOT surprisingly, Bradford Bulldogs’ second visit of the season to Telford Tigers proved to be difficult, much like their first trip to Shropshire back in October.

On that occasion, the Bulldogs made the long trip back to West Yorkshire smarting from a 14-4 loss.

The margin of defeat was significantly less this time around, an under-strength Bulldogs eventually going down 7-0 at St Quentin’s Gate.

Missing leading scorers Josh Stockton and Connor Medley, along with injured forwards Mikey Speare and Jack Wooding, along with defenceman Joel Bark, the visitors produced a backs-to-the-wall performance against a team many believe will win the regular season title this season - and maybe more.

As you’d expect from a team that has scored more than 140 goals in 19 games going into the clash, the Bulldogs were outshot roughly 2-to-1 over the course of the game.

But they were able to frustrate their hosts for most of the first period until the deadlock was eventually broken at 17.28 when Jake Lowndes was beaten by Simon Harrison.

It was in the first half of the second period, though, where the game was essentially lost.

The lead was doubled with a power play strike from Filip Supa just as a tripping call on Ben Fox was coming to an end.

The Bulldogs’ task got more difficult just under four minutes later when Liam Bartholomew made it 3-0, the lead increasing and hopes of any kind of comeback being further hampered when Supa got his second at 29.34.

The Bulldogs were handed an opportunity to get on the scoreboard themselves early in the third when Telford hit some penalty trouble of their own.

But it was the hosts who prospered - twice - while Stephen Crowe was in the box on an elbow call.

Paul Davies made it 5-0 at 44.44 before Ben Washburn further piled on the agony for Bradford in the 47th minute.

Karol Jets completed the scoring at 53.52 for a win that was enough to take Telford back above Sutton Sting to the top of the standings, one point clear with two games in hand on their Nottinghamshire rivals.

The Bulldogs have an opportunity to get back to winning ways this weekend when they travel to Nottingham Lions 2 on Saturday (1.20pm) before hosting Altrincham Aces on Sunday (face-off 5.30pm), when they will hope to emulate the 3-2 win they enjoyed over their Cheshire rivals in late November.

Doors: 4.45pm, Face-off: 5.30pm - ENTRY - Adults: £5, U-16s/concessions: £2.50, Kids (U-12s) for a quid, Family of Four: £12