Bradford Bulldogs: The only way is up after defeat to Telford Tigers leaves Bulldogs bottom
IT was always going to be a tough ask for Bradford Bulldogs against NIHL North Two leaders Telford Tigers - and so it proved with the top-ranked team leaving for Shropshire with both points in the bag.
As a result, the 5-3 win strengthened Telford’s position at the top of the standings while, when combined with results elsewhere, it left the Bulldogs in bottom spot after eight games.
For a while, despite being heavily outshot, it looked as though the hosts would cause something of and upset, finding themselves 2-0 up heading towards the halfway mark.
But Telford proved a durable opponent, their dominance eventually telling in a third period which saw them come from behind a second time an take both points with three unanswered goals.
In net, Sam Bolwell excelled in giving the Bulldogs a chance to take something from the game, turning away 62 shots in total, almost three times as many as the hosts mustered on Matthew Croyle’s net.
While Bolwell may have felt like goal was under siege in the first period, she an her team-mates went in at the break 1-0 to the good after Josh Reynolds marked his return to the Bulldogs after a short stint at Widnes Wild with a short-handed strike at 16.32.
The pattern of play remained the same in the middle section but it was the Bulldogs who proved more clinical again, doubling their lead through Kieron Furlong at 26.58.
But the Tigers got on the board within 57 seconds, halving the deficit through Slovakian-born Filip Supa.
Just 40 seconds later the scores were level, Ben Washburn beating Bolwell, which was how it stayed until early in the third when the Bulldogs got their noses in front again, Josh Stockton benefitting from a feed off Reynolds at 43.35.
But, as in the second period, the Tigers were quick to respond, levelling at levelling at 46.20 through Paul Davies before the telling blow came just over three minutes later, the visitors taking the lead for the first time through Karol Jets.
It was a hard-won lead and one the Tigers were determined to hold on to, something they were able to do when Jets grabbed a second - this time on the power play at 56.44 - to make the points safe and secure his team’s sixth league win of the 2022-23 campaign.
To see the latest NIHL North Two standings and results grid head to NIHL Stats HERE
The Bulldogs' game against Sheffield Titans at Bradford Ice Arena this Saturday (November 5) has been postponed.
They are next in action at Telford on Saturday, November 12. The Bulldogs' next home game isn't until Saturday, December 3 against Altrincham Aces (4.45pm).