Bradford Bulldogs v Leeds Junior Knights - Match report

THOU SHALT NOT PASS: Well, almost - Jacob Mardell turning away 36 of the 42 shots on his net by rivals Leeds Knights Juniors.

ONLY three weeks on from their previous Division One North meeting, Bradford Bulldogs’ Under-16s and Leeds Junior Knights came face-to-face again, this time at The Pound. 

It was another competitive affair, with the visitors repeating their triumph on home ice when they ran out deserved 6-1 winners. 

Once again, Leeds dominated in terms of possession and chances, but the Bulldogs managed to keep themselves in contention for the majority of the game. 

There was little to choose between the two teams especially in the first period, the deadlock being eventually broken when former Bulldogs Frank O’Sullivan made the most of a power play as he cut in from the left and fired past Jacob Mardell at 11.23.

STRIKE ONE: But that was all Bulldogs could muster, Daragh Spawforth levelling in the 13th minute before Leeds ran out 6-1 winners. Picture: Andy Bourke/Podium Prints.

But the hosts didn’t take long to pull  level, Danny Harrison being denied before the puck eventually fell to Daragh Spawforth, who fired home gloveside past Jacob Midgley at 12.04. 

The visitors would go in ahead, however, when Josh Hartley pounced on a loose puck from the face-off and found the top right-hand corner of Mardell’s net. 

It was the second period where the game was won, though, Leeds doubling their lead just under five minutes in when Jake Wigginton was first to a rebound off Mardell from Hartley’s initial shot to force the puck home from close range at 19.55.

Just over five minutes later a break down the left from Wigginton saw him square the puck to Hartley who played a neat reverse pass to Evan Bradon who slotted home to make it 4-1. 

The game got further away from the hosts just over a minute later, Leeds bagging their second power play goal of the game when Jonas Bennett beat Mardell low down from distance at 26.29. 

Chances had been difficult to come by for the Bulldogs in the second and it was a similar story in the third, Mardell again the busier of the netminders, although he was only beaten once more when good work in the right corner from Lawrence Dean saw him break free to find Alfie Moore, who completed the scoring at 37.07.