Bradford Bulldogs v Sheffield Titans and Nottingham Lions - match reports
SET TO: Bradford Bulldogs overcame Nottingham Lions 2 13-2. Picture: Alien Aerial Photography.
HAVING seen Sheffield Titans complete a clean sweep against them for the season on Saturday, Bradford Bulldogs responded in style by taking out any frustrations they may have had on Nottingham Lions 2.
In the end, hat-tricks from Josh Stockton and Lucas Vince led the way, as the Bulldogs triumphed 13-2 on home ice.
It keeps them in touch with sixth-placed Altrincham Aces - who remained one point ahad after following up Saturday’s 5-4 win at Kingston Sharks with a point in a shoot-out defeat at home to Billingham Buccaneers.
With eight games remaining, the Bulldogs sit seventh and are on course for a play-off quarter-final against second-placed Sutton Sting.
With Coventry NIHl Blaze looking well set on finishing third, they would become the Bulldogs’ opponent in the first round were Andy Brown’s team able to pull themselves above the Aces.
BOOM: Ben Fox celebrates his third period goal against Nottingham Lions 2. Picture: Alien Aerial Photography
The Bulldogs started as they meant to go on with just 63 seconds gone in front of their home fans on Sunday, Michael Speare finding a way past Deacon Hardy.
Captain Dean Boothroyd doubled the lead just under three minutes later and it was 3-0 inside 10 minutes when Declan Kime struck on the power play.
Special teams came to the fore again for the hosts before the period was out, Vince getting his first of the night at 16.51 while the hosts were shorthanded, before the power play kicked in for a second time just over two minutes later when Joe Howie fired home.
A first of the game for Stockton just 55 seconds into the middle section extended the advantage for the dominant home, although they were to lose the period overall when Nottingham hit back through strikes from Tyler Poole and Jake Fisher.
But that was as good as it got for the Lions, any faint hopes they may have entertained of a comeback ended inside the first five minutes of the third period when the Bulldogs added three more goals through Connor Medley and second strikes for both Speare and Vince.
IN THE GOALS: Michael Speare scored three goals across both games at the weekend. Picture: Alien Aerial Photography
It was Stockton’s second which took the Bulldogs into double figures at 47.00, Ben Fox grabbing a third power play strike of the game to make it 11-2 in the 51st minute.
Two more short-handed strikes - both in the 56th minute, 25 seconds apart - brought up the respective hat-tricks for Vince and Stockton, completing the team’s biggest win of the season so far.
On Saturday, a goalless first period was followed by a flurry of activity at the start of the second at Ice Sheffield, the Titans going ahead on the power play through Tom Humphries just 64 seconds in before Stockton replied with the Bulldogs on the man advantage just over a minute later.
But the Titans were to take a 3-1 lead into the second intermission through further markers from Oliver Wagg and Gabriel Fisher.
Again, the start of a period brought a flurry of goals, Bradford getting back within one through Stockton at 40.35, only to see Joshua Rawsthorne restore the two-goal advantage 55 seconds later.
Speare struck back quickly for the visitors to make it 4-3 with only 64 more seconds having passed, but after Sam PArkin restored the home side’s two-goal cushion for a second time in the 47th minute, there was to be no response from the Bulldogs, who conceded a sixth when Regan Kidd struck at 56.09.