Bulldogs Junior Review: Under-16s, Under-14s and Under-10s

Picture: Andy Bourke/Podium Prints

BRADFORD BULLDOGS’ had a busy week taking on two games in the space of four days against Under-16 Division One North rivals Nottingham and Leeds Junior Knights. 

Both were tough encounters  but, on both occasions, the Bulldogs came out of it with their heads held high. 

On Saturday against Nottingham at The Pound, it was the visitors who broke the deadlock through Ewan Woodward at 2.29 before Danny Harrison levelled at 4.34. 

Kingston McKenzie struck for Nottingham and Harrison levelled again but then the game got away from the Bulldogs as the visitors went into the first break 6-2 ahead through further strikes from Travis Fay (2) Darren Tuuling and a second for McKenzie. 

McKenzie completed his hat-trick in the 21st minute before Charlie Hargrave - guesting from Manchester pulled one back for Bradford with just over a minute of the period remaining. 

Woodward completed his hat-trick in the third, as did Harrison for Bradford with Nottingham eventually running out deserved 9-4 winners. 

Goalie Toby Summerfield - also guesting from Manchester - picked up the Bulldogs’ Spirit of the Game award. 

Four days later at Elland Road, the Bulldogs took on a Leeds team hoping to maintain their push for the league title.

ON TARGET: Danny Harrison found the net for Bulldogs’ Under-16s against both Nottingham and Leeds this week. Picture: Andy Bourke/Podium Pics.

For two periods, while heavily outshot, the Bulldogs remained in the game, trailing 4-1 with Harrison having beaten Harrison McCourt with the hosts’ goals coming from Josh Noble, Kieran Smith (2) and Lawrence Dean. 

But the game got away from the Bulldogs when they conceded three goals in as many minutes early in the third, Frank O’Sullivan, Smith - with his hat-trick marker - and Josh Hartley finding the net. 

Harrison grabbed a second for the visitors at 47.02 before the Knights closed out the game with further strikes from Hartley, Noble, Evan Bradon and Jonas Bennett. 

Bulldogs’ Under-14s were also in action at the weekend, heading over to Manchester looking to exact revenge for the previous weekend’s loss against the Storm in Bradford. 

They found themselves chasing the game from an early stage after Manchester raced into an early 2-0 lead through goals from Jacob Vanek and Zac Grimes. 

Louis Brook replied for Bradford at 7.08 but the Storm took a 6-1 lead into the first break through further goals from Daniel Yilmaz, Vanek, Heiko Petrusevicius and Grimes. 

Grimes and Vanek both completed their hat-tricks in the second period to give the hosts an 8-1 lead coming out for the third, Oscar Schelderup increasing the lead further before Josh Windass got the Bulldogs on the board for a second time at 33.50. 

Grimes and Vanek then both took their tallies to four for the game to see the Storm run out convincing 11-2 winners. 

On Saturday, the latest Under-10s X-ice jamboree was held at The Pound, with teams from Nottingham, Sheffield and Sutton Sting joining the Bulldogs for a series of games

On the Bulldogs' taking part, team manager Aimee Clarke said: "It was another great development day for all of our Under-10s. 

"The top goal-scorer of the day was George Clarke and he rightly took home the Spirit of the Game award.

"Henry Martin and Teddy Barnett also manage to get on the scoreboard against Sutton.”