Bulldogs try to weather the Storm in final weekend clash

TEAM WORK: Bradford Bulldogs Under-14s.

BRADFORD BULLDOGS’ Under-14s went into their last scheduled league game of the season hoping to end the campaign on a high at Manchester Storm Academy.

The two teams had both enjoyed success against each other earlier in the season, with home ice advantage proving crucial in all three cases.

It was to prove so again, as Manchester ran out 8-5 winners in a thrilling encounter before going on to qualify for the Under-14 National Finals the following day thanks to their 8-4 win at Nottingham.

TREBLE TOP: Frank O’Sullivan finished the league campaign with a hat-trick - but it couldn’t prevent an 8-5 defeat at Manchester, which scuppered the Bulldogs’ hopes of making the National Finals at Sheffield later this month. Picture: Andy Bourke/Podium Prints.

Against Bradford, there was little to choose between the two teams in the opening 10 minutes or so, the deadlock eventually being broken by the home team when Ollie Marfleet pounced on a loose puck in the crease and poked it home at 12.06.

Cheers rang out among the home fans again two minutes later when Mario Vaksmansky beat Jack Atkin to give his team a 2-0 lead going into the first break.

That lead was increased soon after the restart, however, when Vaksmansky doubled his tally just 44 seconds in, the Storm piling on the agony for the visitors when increasing their lead to four goals through Theo Malone with just 18 more seconds having passed.

But the game was to be turned on its head when the Bulldogs hit back to level with four goals in as many minutes. 

DOUBLE TROUBLE: Danny Harrison grabbed two goals in the 8-5 defeat at Manchester Storm Academy Picture: Andy Bourke/Podium Prints.

Frank O’Sullivan got the visitors on the board when he fired home from the top of the left circle at 23.509, the Bulldogs No 9 doubling his tally to make it 4-2 just 73 seconds later.

A precision feed from Josh Guy saw O’Sullivan register his hat-trick with a shot on the turn from 10 yards to make it a one-goal game at 27.03 before the teams were level when quick-thinking from Danny Harrison at a face-off in the right circle saw him blast one into the roof of the net past Owen Severn at 27.37.

That was how the teams went in at the second break, coming back out for the third knowing the next goal would prove pivotal.

Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, it went the way of the home side, Vaksmansky matching O’Sullivan’s efforts for the visitors when he bagged his third of the game at 37.35.

The Bulldogs pushed for a way back into the game for a second time but were hit with another sucker punch when Vaksmansky made it 6-4 at 40.09, the deficit increasing to three goals when Leo Cooper fired home at 41.11. 

Malone grabbed his second when squeezing one through Atkin at 43.20, with Harrison grabbing a late consolation for the visitors.