Bulldogs Under-16s produce late drama in Roses clash with Manchester Storm

DOUBLE TROUBLE: Rhys Edwards fired two goals to help Bulldogs Under-16s to a deserved 3-3 draw at home to Manchester on Sunday. Picture courtesy of John Stoves.

MUCH like the seniors the day before, the Under-16s enjoyed a dramatic conclusion to their clash, this time at home to Manchester Storm Academy.

A win for the visitors would have taken them into the top four an they looked to be moving up the table after taking a 2-0 lead inside 20 minutes with goals from Sebastian Vasinc - on the power play at 8.01 - and captain Charles Phillips at 17.32.

But a power play strike was to get Bradford back into the game at 28.13 when Rhys Edwards halved the deficit. 

That was how it stayed until Manchester struck just over five minutes from time, Jayson Burgess being fed by Rafferty Smith to make it 3-1 at 39.39.

With 107 seconds remaining, however, Rhys Edwards picked the perfect moment to post his second goal of the day, ensuring some nervous moments for the Storm in the closing moments.

And, with just 43 seconds remaining, Daragh Spawforth collected the puck on the right-hand boards before back-handing the puck inside to a waiting Danny Harrison who fired home a one-timer from the left-side of the right circle past Storm goalie Dominick Jaglar, to the delight of the home crowd, and the despair of the stunned visiting team.

Danny Harrison equalises for Bulldogs Under-16s against Manchester Storm. Video courtesy of Charlotte Spawforth.

Under-18s struggle to recover from early blows at Telford

THE curtain came down on the Under-18s season, their long road trip to Telford seeing them come undone in a 10-4 defeat.

The game was effectively over as a contest inside 10 minutes as the home team raced into and unforgiving 7-1 lead, Jack Wooding’s effort at 9.05 interrupting the flow of goals at the other end.

Before the first intermission, Telford were 8-1 ahead after captain Charlie Webb celebrated his hat-trick strike at 18.39.

The Bulldogs got on the board for a second time at 23.42 when Rhys Edwards made the most of a power play opportunity. Webb grabbed his fourth of the game 33.11 to make it 9-2, although that was quickly cancelled out by Lydia Lutwyche’s first 18s goal just 15 seconds later. 

Edwards showed his prowess for making the man advantage count when he doubled his tally on the power play at 46.33, before the scoring was completed b the home team at 56.19, Thomas Byrne adding to his two first-period strikes with his hat-trick marker.