Juniors Review: Bulldogs Under-16s and 14s face Nottingham

ON TARGET: Will Durgan scored twice in the Under-16s home defeat to Nottingham and a hat-trick in the abandoned Under-14s game at the National Ice Centre the following day. Picture: Andy Bourke/Podium Prints.

BRADFORD BULLDOGS’ Under-16s welcomed North One champions Nottingham for their penultimate game of the 2022-23 season.

It proved to be an uphill struggle from the early stages when two goals from Nicholas Martin and a strike from Luke Birchnall put the visitors 3-0 ahead with less than three minutes gone.

But the Bulldogs steadied themselves and went into the first period break still in touch with Jacob Midgley turning away the other 24 shots on his net.

The hosts then got themselves in the game through a Will Durgan effort early in the second, although any hope of causing an upset and mounting a sustained comeback was killed off when the champions responded with three more quickfire strikes.

Alex Rushby made it 4-1 at 17.26 - just 61 seconds after Durgan’s strike - before Midgley was beaten by a second from Birchnall and a hat-trick marker from Martin to leave the visitors 6-1 ahead with just under 20 minutes gone.

Justin Scott-Davies replaced Midgley in net in time to see Liam Oughton-Shaw score on a delayed penalty at 24.41, the lead increased further early in the third when Rushby doubled his tally.

A second goal from Durgan at 32.16 provided some relief for the Bulldogs but they were made to pay by the visitors who replied with three more goals in less than a minute, two more from Rushby taking his tally to four before Jack Carmody got in on the act to make it 11-2 at 33.27.

Captain Daragh Spawforth hit a reply at 35.50 before the scoring was wrapped with two more from Nottingham, Martin grabbing his fourth of the game before Rushby went one better to seal a five-goal haul in a comprehensive 13-3 victory.

On Sunday, the Under-14s travelled to Nottingham were 4-1 ahead after two periods thanks to a Will Durgan hat-trick and a Charlie Barker strike.

But the game was abandoned by the referees during the second intermission and a decision by EIHA management on how the points are to be awarded is now being awaited.

Our Under-10s headed over to Blackburn for another cross-ice tournament against the hosts as well as Widnes and Manchester Storm. Bentley McEwen (pictured above) picked up the Bulldogs’ Spirit of the Game award.