Bulldogs’ Junior Review - Under-16s and Under-14s in action

STAND OUTS: Oli Bolland (Under-14 Hardest Worker), Nathan Mitchell (Under-16 Spirit of the Game) and Miley Jessop (Under-14 Spirit of the Game).

BRADFORD BULLDOGS Under-16s made the short trip across the Pennines for a Roses clash against Manchester Storm Academy to play their part in an entertaining seven-goal thriller.

Sadly for the visitors, they came out on the wrong end of the 4-3 scoreline, but deserved to take something out of the game. 

It was the visitors who got off to the perfect start, too, when they took the lead through a power play strike from Charlie Farrow at 4.54. 

It looked like the Bulldogs would take that one-goal lead into the break, but it ended up being the other way around as Storm equalised through Heath Langlois at 12.54 before taking the lead just over a minute later thanks to a strike from Alfie Seddon. 

Janne Karrainen increased the advantage to 301 for the home side in the 19th minute but the Bulldogs hit back quickly to make it a one-goal game again through Thomas Lee at 19.42.

Less than three minutes into the third period and the Bulldogs were level when Nathan Mitchell - who later picked up the Bulldogs’ Spirit of the Game award - fired past Owen Severn.

But in an end-to-end game, it was the hosts who had the final word,clinching both points when Langlois doubled his tally with the match-winner at 37. 54.

The day before, the Bulldogs Under-14s were also on the road when they visited Widnes Wild Academy. 

Again the Bulldogs got off to a promising start, taking the lead through captain Thomas Lee with just 63 seconds on the clock. 

But that seemed to stir the home side into action, who got themselves 4-1 ahead inside nine minutes through goals from Charlie Clowes-Fox, Noah Marfleet, Evan Walker and Max Goodey. 

The lead was increased to 6-1 by the time the first break arrived after Caleb Eddlestone and Walker - with his second - found the net. 

The second period saw Widnes tighten their grip on the game with six further goals - Tom Greenhalgh, Eddlestone, Goodey, Marfleet, Ethan Liversage and Ollie Cliffe all finding the net. 

Lee responded with his second of the game to make it 12-2 at 37.12, but Widnes weren’t finished, enjoying a 14-2 win after further goals from Elias Boardman and Walker, completing his hat-trick at 39.03. 

Miley Jessop picked up the Bulldogs’ Spirit of the Game award, while Oli Bolland donned the Hardest Worker ‘Digger helmet.