Bulldogs shoot themselves in foot at home to rivals Blaze

NOT QUITE: Bradford Bulldogs let a two-goal lead slip in the third period as Coventry ran out 5-3 winners.

ANDY BROWN said Bradford Bulldogs only had themselves to blame for failing to get the better of NIHL North Two rivals Coventry NIHL Blaze. 

The Bulldogs were leading 3-1 going into the third period at The Pound last Sunday - courtesy of a Daragh Spawforth hat-trick - against a team they hadn’t beat since March 2023. 

But the Blaze showed why they have been a top four regular for the past couple of seasons by storming back to score four unanswered goals as the hosts ran into penalty trouble, eventually running out 5-3 winners. 

“I knew going into the game we had a good chance of getting something from it,” said disappointed head coach, Brown. “We are missing our captain Kieron Furlong for a few weeks through injury but I felt we still had a strong enough team to cause Coventry problems.” 

The Bulldogs showed they were a match for the visitors through a goalless first period and deservedly took the lead just after the halfway mark when, on the power play, Spawforth went coast to coast before rounding the net and beating Hayden Laverick from between the hash marks at 32.11.

But, straight from the face-off, Coventry pulled level, Arthur Brookes throwing the puck on net where Sam Prosser reacted quickest to jab the rebound home. 

The Bulldogs forged ahead again though just under two minutes later, Spawforth robbing a Blaze defenceman of the puck just in the neutral zone before beating Laverick one-on-one at 34.08.

It got even better for the hosts three minutes later when, again on the power play, Liam Hine drove deep into the Blaze zone before laying the puck back for Spawforth who fired through traffic into the bottom left-hand corner. 

Two goals early in the third period, though, turned the game on its head, Oliver Dixon beating Jake Lowndes from close range at 43.02 before Harrison Sumner pulled the visitors level 90 seconds later with an effort from the left circle.

The momentum stayed with Coventry and they got ahead for the first time in the 55th minute. 

With the Bulldogs on the penalty kill after a slashing and unsportsmanlike call on Ben Darbyshire, the Blaze made their numerical advantage count when Prosser beat Lowndes from close range. 

Just over a minute later, the Blaze doubled their lead when a face-off win by Mellett found Jodie Alderson-Smith who beat Lowndes to his right from 15 yards. 

“The first period was relatively even so going into the second we just had to make a few adjustments to our game,” added Brown. 

“Our special teams were working well and with Daragh clinical in front of net, I felt we deservedly took the lead into the third. 

“But we’ve only got ourselves to blame for the way we threw it away. We needed to be disciplined and manage the puck but instead we panicked in our D-zone and took way too many penalties. 

“A team as well structured as Coventry are always going to make you pay and I can’t say they didn’t deserve the four unanswered goals they put past us. Ultimately, they deserved the win.”