Bulldogs suffer double dip against Telford and Sutton

ON TARGET: Connor Medley scored against both Telford and Sutton for the Bulldogs but it was a tough weekend with two defeats. Picture: Andy Bourke/Podium Prints.

AS weekends go, it was always likely to be tough for Bradford Bulldogs, facing back-to-back games against NIHL North Two leaders Telford Tigers and, in Sutton Sting, a team pushing hard for the play-offs.

It proved to be just that, going down 7-1 on home ice against Telford, while their struggles on the road continued with a 6-2 defeat at Ice Sheffield.

Having top scorer Josh Stockton missing all weekend was another blow for a Bulldogs team low on confidence and rooted to the bottom of the standings. 

All hopes when returning at the start of the year of a push for the play-offs now seem gone, with Andy Brown’s team in a straight shoot-out to avoid finishing bottom with Nottingham Lions, who are ahead in seventh by just the one point.

Against Telford, a poor first period allowed the leaders to go into the break 4-0 ahead, the deadlock being broken by Connor Keyes when he beat Sam Bolwell in her top left-hand corner with just 2.19 on the board.

The lead was doubled at 7.09 by Charlie Webb before a double strike from Liam Bartholemew put the visitors firmly in control, the first being on the power play at 13.29 with his second coming just over two minutes later.

The second period saw a much better effort from the Bulldogs, proving a good match for their higher-ranked opponents.
Chances were still hard to come by for the hosts - there were just five all period - but one of them was taken to offer hope of a comeback when Connor Medley scored on the power play at 37.43.

But all hope of taking something from the game disappeared when Telford rattled in three goals in as many minutes. 

Bartholemew sealed his hat-trick at 45.39 and, after Michael Jones had made it 6-1 at 46.37, he grabbed a fourth just under two minutes later.

A Sunday trip to Ice Sheffield offered the Bulldogs a quick chance to bounce back but, again, their struggles in front of the net undermined their hard work, Sutton eventually running out 6-2 winners.

Once again, a poor start had them chasing the game from an early stage, going behind to a Matt Jeffcock strike at 2.15 before Morgan Glasby took advantage of a power play to double the lead at 4.26.

The Bulldogs were made to pay for taking another penalty, this time Ben Darbyshire on a slashing call, when Sting captain Lawson Glasby made it 3-0 at 13.59.

STRIKE THREE: Sting captain increased the agony for the Bulldogs with a 14th-minute goal at Ice Sheffield on Sunday. Picture: Andy Bourke.

But the visitors were quick to make their own power play count at the first opportunity towards the end of the first, Grant Cook grabbing his first of the season to get his team in the game with just 22 seconds of the first remaining.

Any momentum the Bulldogs may have had going into the first intermission, though, was ended when Sutton restored their three-goal lead at 24.47 through Morgan Glasby. 

And although Bradford kept themselves in the game through a strike from Medley at 26.17, it was another period dominated by the hosts, who made their possession count further when they went 5-2 ahead through a second for Jeffcock in the 37th minute.

The third period was more memorable for the penalties incurred by the Bulldogs, with both Cook and Medley receiving 10-minute majors, while Sutton completed a deserved win when Jacob Truswell made it 6-2 at 56.14.

This Sunday offers a chance for the Bulldogs to end their seven-game losing streak and haul themselves off the bottom of the table when they travel to Nottingham (face-off 7.15pm). 

Heavy defeat for Under-18s but plenty of positives to take

BULLDOGS Under-18s faced a tough test on the road at Nottingham on Saturday evening - but for two periods they were well in the game as they matched their hosts when losing 3-0.

But a difficult third period saw Nottingham run away with the game, eventually posting an 11-0 win.

Short on numbers compared to their hosts but big on spirit, the Bulldogs went in at the first break tied at 0-0, chances were created at both ends but Bradford’s Callum Preston and Deacon Hardy at the other end were the two netminders who were proving immovable.

But Nottingham broke the deadlock just 32 seconds into the second, through a short-handed effort from Tyler Somerton and went in at the second 3-0 ahead through Harvey Smith and a second - this time on the power play - from Somerton.

Five goals in just under four minutes early in the third, however, did for the visitors, with Smith completing his hat-trick, along with markers from Luke Birchnall, James Mather and Reuben Sweenie-Fuller.

To add insult to injury, Alex Rushby (2) and Joshua Dowds added further gloss to the scoreline inside the last 10 minutes.