Bradford Bulldogs Weekend Review: How our Under-18s, Under-16s, Under-14s and Under-12s fared

LEADING MAN: Daragh Spawforth stepped up to be captain for the Bulldogs Under-18s in Coventry and bagged himself four goals in the 11-4 road win. Picture: Andy Bourke/Podium Prints

BRADFORD BULLDOGS’ Under-18s got the better of rivals Coventry Blaze at the fourth time of asking - and in some style too.

Having suffered two narrow losses at the hands of the Blaze, the Bulldogs came undone on home ice last weekend when going down 7-3.

But they made the long road trip to the SkyDome Arena worth it when they ran out comfortable 11-4 winners.

Stand-in captain Daragh Spawforth led by example with a four-goal haul, while Darmani James and Rhys Edwards weighed in with two apiece. 

A frantic opening 10 minutes saw the teams trading goals with the Bulldogs coming out the other side 3-2 ahead, James breaking the deadlock with just 92 seconds on the clock before Spawforth and Oliver Massey added to the away team’s tally.

The home side pulled level for a second time in the game at 12.24 when Jake Storer added to earlier efforts from Luca Whittingham and Artur Koruv.

But they were to go in ahead at the first break when Rhys Edwards made it 4-3 at 14.02 before Mackenzie Barker doubled the lead at 18.49.

NOW HEAR THIS: Coach Kirsten Deighton gets her message across to the Bulldogs' Under-16s during the second intermission in their home loss to Manchester Storm. Picture: Andy Bourke/Podium Prints.

It was in the second period, however, where the Bulldogs ran riot, running in six goals to Coventry’s one.

Spawforth grabbed his second of the night just over five minutes in but it was just past the halfway mark - after the Blaze made it 6-4 through Joseph Tarr - where the game was settled, Tom Mardell getting in on the act at 32.33 before Edwards added his second 35 seconds later.

A hat-trick marker from Spawforth followed with only 70 more seconds having passed, before he made it four for the day at 34.55. 

The scoring was completed with just 30 seconds of the period remaining when James grabbed his second of the game.

Even though the Bulldogs piled on the pressure in the third period and outshot their hosts 21-6, no further goals came at either end.

On Saturday, Bulldogs Under-14s made it three straight wins with a comfortable 12-0 win at home to Whitley Bay. 

The points were effectively secured within the first 10 minutes of the game when goals from Will Durgan (2), Danny Harrison (2), Kieran Smith and Frank O’Sullivan put the hosts 6-0 ahead.

O’Sullivan completed his hat-trick before the break and added a fourth just 10 seconds into the middle section to make it 9-0.

Durgan sealed his own treble at 16.07 before Harrison added two more of his own before the mercy rule kicked in. 

Whitley Bay got on the board through strikes from Ollie Jardine and Ben Wood (3), with further Bulldogs strikes coming from O’Sullivan, Smith and Thomas Taylor.

Immediately after, the Bulldogs’ Under-16s put up a good fight against a quality Manchester Storm outfit, with two goals inside the last 20 seconds adding some gloss to the visitors’ eventual 6-0 win.

After 30 minutes, the Bulldogs were still in the game, trailing 2-0 to second period strikes from Connor Lee and Joshua Milnes. 

NOT THIS TIME: Bulldogs Under-16s netminder Jacob Midgley denies Manchester Storm during Saturday's clash at Bradford Ice Arena. Picture: Andy Bourke/Podium Prints.

But the crucial time came just over three minutes into the third when Storm scored twice within 23 seconds, Sebastian Vasinc’s 34th-minute effort being quickly enhanced by Liam Hine’s solo effort at 34.06.

Bradford had their chances but for the second home game running found themselves shut out, insult being added to injury when Lee and then Declan Jarvis got on the scoresheet inside the final 20 seconds.

On Sunday, Bulldogs’ Under-12s visited their Manchester Storm counterparts but were always up against it after going 2-0 down inside the first minute. 

The deficit increased through a second goal from Christian Roth before the Bulldogs got themselves back in the game, first through Jonas Mtethwa at 7.25 before Louis Brook made it a one-goal game at 10.35.

Roth restored the two-goal cushion before the break but there were no more goals until the third period.

A second for Brook at 37.35 made it a one-goal game again, but a quick response 55 seconds later through Ethan Bramhal gave the Bulldogs another mountain to climb, one they couldn’t overcome with Roth and Augustin Baizz adding further markers for the home team.