Clean sweep for Bulldogs as 12s, 14s and 16s all seal victory

GOAL-GLUT: Daragh Spawforth ended the weekend with six goals, following up four for the Under-16s at home to Whitley Bay with a brace for the Under-14s at Whitley Bay the following day. Picture: Andy Bourke/Podium Prints.

BRADFORD BULLDOGS Under-12s cemented their place at the top of the North Division with an 8-0 win over Widnes.

The hosts didn’t have it all their own way, though, with almost 13 minutes on the clock before they opened their account, Charlie Barker lighting the lamp at 12.55.

It was the second period before the Bulldogs doubled their lead, Timur Sprogis getting on the board at 19.38 before Kyle Bower made it 3-0 just under four minutes later.

William Simpson was next to find the net, firing past replacement netminder Miks Kirsteins at 26.55, with Bower doubling his tally and making it 5-0 before the second intermission at 31.30.

After the restart, Layden Fletcher-Robb opened his account at 33.44, quickly doubling his contribution just under four minutes later.

DOUBLE-TROUBLE: Layden Fletcher-Robb scored twice in the Under-12s win against Widnes. Picture: Andy Bourke/Podium Prints.

Simpson completed the scoring with his second of the game at 38.04.

The Under-16s signed off for their Division One season with an emphatic 13-1 victory over visitors Whitley Bay.

The game was just over four minutes old and Bradford were already 3-0 ahead through strikes from Oliver Massey, Miles Jones and Rhys Edwards, although Whitley Bay reduced the deficit at 5.05 through Ladislav Raiminius. 

Daragh Spawforth restored the three-goal lead at 7.47 with the first strike in what was a productive day, a power play strike from Massey making it 5-1 just under three minutes later, with Spawforth extending the lead ahead of the first intermission with his second of the game at 11.49.

Four more goals followed in the second period, Spawforth bagging his hat-trick at 20.28 and adding a fourth just under three minutes later, after Jones had doubled his tally at 22.05. Mackenzie Barker made it 10-1 with 24 seconds of the period remaining.

The third period was only 22 seconds old when the biggest cheer of the night came for Tyler Hall, who scored his first of the season for the Under-16s. 

DOUBLE DELIGHT: Tyler Hall waited all season for his first Under-16s goal - then got a second just over three minutes later.

As if that wasn’t enough, he then doubled his tally less than two minutes later, Edwards making it two for the game for himself when he completed the scoring at 36.10.

The Under-14s maintained their bid to clinch a top two spot and a place at the Nationals with a hard-fought 5-2 win at Whitley Bay.

But they were forced to do it the hard way, coming from 2-0 down against a Whitley team playing their last home game of the season. 

Jacob Barnes and Jack Williams put the home side ahead and they held on to that advantage until there were only 25 seconds left in the period when Will Durgan halved the deficit.

But despite lots of possession it was a while before the leveller finally came, Harrison Booth scoring from distance at 27.14.

The third period was less than two minutes old when the Bulldogs managed to get the go-ahead goal, Daragh Spawforth continuing his scoring form for the 16s from the previous day, the lead being stretched to 4-2 by Frank O’Sullivan at 33.32.

As Whitley Bay pushed for a way back, they pulled their goalie allowing Spawforth to double his tally and seal the points with an empty-net strike with 17 seconds remaining.

The Under-10s were involved in another four-team event, Evelyn Strong getting the player of the day for the Bulldogs, with Widnes, Telford and Manchester providing the opposition.