YORK KNIGHTS 16 BRADFORD BULLS 14
GAVIN WILSON, LNER Community Stadium, Sunday
YORK moved to the summit of the Championship with a bruising victory over fellow title-chasing rivals Bradford in sweltering conditions.
The match between second and third was already billed as the game of the round, but took on extra significance after Toulouse’s defeat to Halifax and certainly lived up to all expectations, with no quarter given from either side.
Knights coach Mark Applegarth made two changes from the team that won at Sheffield last week. Backrower Jesse Dee and prop Brenden Santi both returned in place of Joe Law and Harvey Reynolds.
Bradford coach Brian Noble was forced into making several changes to the team that beat Hunslet last week. Tom Holmes and Bayley Liu both dropped out after failed head-injury assessments, while Konrad Hurrell had returned to his parent club St Helens. Joe Keyes and on-loan Huddersfield duo Fenton Rogers and Connor Carr came in to fill the gaps.
The Bulls got the scoreboard ticking with a Jordan Lilley penalty goal just two minutes in, after some interference in the ruck close to the line.
York hit back midway through the first half with their first try as Bradford failed to deal with Ata Hingano’s high kick to the corner, and Ben Jones-Bishop was perfectly placed to touch down for his 20th try of the season. Liam Harris missed the touchline conversion.
Harris extended the Knights’ lead six minutes later with a trademark ‘show and go’ close to Bradford’s line, this time successfully converting his own try.
York’s discipline began to falter in the intense heat, and consecutive penalties and a ‘six again’ had them pinned on their own line. Returning halfback Keyes ran the ball before finding Jayden Okunbor with an excellent looping pass, allowing the winger to slide over, for Lilley to add the conversion.
The Knights were again penalised for a ball-steal close to the line, but Lilley missed the opportunity to level the scores by pushing his penalty-goal attempt wide.
York almost landed a killer blow just before the half-time whistle, but Connor Bailey’s pass to Hingano was ruled forward.
Bradford started the second half brightly with repeat attacking sets, but York held firm and landed a crucial counter attack through Oli Field. The ball was worked quickly to the left and the centre superbly stood up Waqa Blake to score. Harris’ conversion attempt hit the post.
The Bulls enjoyed the majority of possession and territory thanks to a number of uncharacteristic unforced errors, with the Knights relying on some resolute defending to hold them out.
And York took a crucial two-score lead with eight minutes remaining thanks to a simple Harris penalty goal for a ball-steal in front of the posts.
But Bradford refused to go away and ensured that the finish would go right down to the wire when Sam Hallas burrowed over from close range under the posts.
The Knights held firm for the remaining two minutes to ensure an impressive eleventh straight victory in all competitions, three of which came against the Bulls.
The Knights now focus their attentions on another home game against Barrow Raiders, while Bradford will look to get their season quickly back on track at home to fellow play-off contenders Oldham.
GAMESTAR: Eribe Doro was a colossus in a losing team, but Paul McShane gave the Knights the composure they needed to secure a hard-earned victory.
GAMEBREAKER: The game was in doubt until Toa Mata’afa caught a towering Jordan Lilley bomb with 40 seconds remaining.
MATCHFACTS
KNIGHTS
36 Toa Mata’afa
34 Ben Jones-Bishop
3 Kieran Buchanan
20 Oli Field
35 Scott Galeano
6 Ata Hingano
7 Liam Harris
8 Jack Martin
9 Paul McShane
21 Conor Fitzsimmons
11 Jesse Dee
12 Connor Bailey
13 Jordan Thompson
Subs (all used)
10 Brenden Santi
19 Sam Cook
31 Kieran Hudson
33 Mitch Clark
Tries: Jones-Bishop (19), Harris (25), Field (48)
Goals: Harris 2/4
BULLS
26 Luke Hooley
37 Jayden Okunbor
3 Waqa Blake
4 Kieran Gill
33 Connor Carr
7 Joe Keyes
9 Jordan Lilley
8 Michael Lawrence
18 Sam Hallas
15 Logan Bayliss-Brow
11 Zac Fulton
12 Matty Gee
27 Eribe Doro
Subs (all used)
10 Ebon Scurr
19 Tyran Ott
20 Ronan Michael
29 Fenton Rogers
Tries: Okunbor (32), Hallas (77)
Goals: Lilley 3/4
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-2, 4-2, 10-2, 10-8; 14-8, 16-8, 16-14
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Knights: Paul McShane; Bulls: Eribe Doro
Penalty count: 4-10
Half-time: 10-8
Referee: Matty Lynn