BRADFORD BULLS 28 OLDHAM 12
KEITH McGHIE, Bartercard Odsal, Friday
BRADFORD reasserted their title credentials by completing a comprehensive season’s double over an Oldham side which still hasn’t won a clash between the two at Odsal since their Stones Bitter Championship days in 1991.
The Roughyeds did beat Halifax on the same stage three weeks beforehand but, from the moment the Bulls took a three-score first-half lead, there seemed little chance of a repeat as the visitors proved careless with the ball far too many times.
Bradford were superior up front, in attack and in most areas defensively to deservedly add to their 42-12 victory at an albeit then-crippled Oldham in April.
Bulls, with a couple of narrow, two-point defeats to York and Barrow in their past three games, bounced back in style while the hitherto in-form Roughyeds struggled for the cohesion which had seen them climb the table through five wins in six.
The hosts proved more adventurous and clinical with their finishing, helping them to a 14-6 half-time lead.
And despite Oldham earning themselves late hope through a fortuitous second try with 14 minutes to play, the Bulls held on and increased their ultimate winning margin with what coach Brian Noble described as their “best 80 minutes of the season”.
Guy Armitage was restored to the home side’s wing while Tom Holmes came into the halves after clearing HIA protocols and Eribe Doro was as prominent and forceful as in defeat at York, having had his loan spell extended from Hull KR.
Jamaican international Jordan Turner was back for his first game since Oldham’s 1895 Cup semi-final defeat against Featherstone, while Ryan Lannon also returned from a rib injury.
After spurning chances to land penalties at York to their later regret, Jordan Lilley slotted an early two-pointer this time.
Holmes then spotted the Roughyeds’ defence out of position and a long pass picked out an unmarked Jayden Okunbor, who crossed in the corner.
Phoenix Laulu-Togaga’e’s evasiveness sparked Oldham’s first chance, forcing a drop-out and a short period of pressure with the Roughyeds fullback outstanding in an otherwise misfiring team.
And the next time the Bulls got within range, Joe Keyes spotted Waqa Blake and quick hands had Okunbor running in for his second try with Lilley repeating his touchline conversion on the way to an immaculate five from five display from the tee.
Éloi Pélissier was held up over the line before Kieran Gill, after a sparkling run out of defence, lost the ball to Matty Wildie in a tackle and it could have proved a potentially pivotal incident.
From there, with just two minutes to the break and a 14-0 home lead, wingman Ben O’Keefe was handed the chance to get Oldham onto the scoreboard with Kieran Dixon adding the extra two points.
That it didn’t prove so was credit to the Bulls, as Lilley increased the led with a penalty after the break and then Holmes provided for Gill to restore Bradford’s three-score lead.
Luke Hooley was hurt in a tackle, with the incident put on report, before fortune favoured Oldham with 14 minutes to go as an otherwise direct and hardworking Blake inadvertently knocked a kick towards his own in-goal area where home hesitation allowed Josh Drinkwater to pounce and score.
Dixon again converted but, with six minutes to go, Doro was given the space to stride through unopposed and, alongside a Hooley conversion, add icing to the Bulls’ well-earned cake.
GAMESTAR: Jordan Lilley’s game management and immaculate goal-kicking edged the honour from an outstanding Phoenix Laulu-Togaga’e, who created panic whenever he had the ball in hand.
GAMEBREAKER: Eribe Doro’s late try earned a three-score lead for the third time to kill off any hopes of an Oldham comeback.
MATCHFACTS
BULLS
26 Luke Hooley
37 Jayden Okunbor
3 Waqa Blake
4 Kieran Gill
5 Guy Armitage
1 Tom Holmes
7 Joe Keyes
29 Fenton Rogers
9 Jordan Lilley
15 Logan Bayliss-Brow
11 Zac Fulton
12 Matty Gee
27 Eribe Doro
Subs (all used)
10 Ebon Scurr
20 Ronan Michael
14 Mitch Souter
19 Sam Hallas
Tries: Okunbor (23, 26), Gill (52), Doro (74)
Goals: Lilley 5/5, Hooley 1/1
OLDHAM
31 Phoenix Laulu-Togaga’e
24 Ben O’Keefe
38 Ben Davies
3 Jordan Turner
2 Kieran Dixon
42 Morgan Smith
23 Josh Drinkwater
15 Jay Chapelhow
9 Matty Wildie
10 Owen Farnworth
17 Elijah Taylor
37 Ryan Lannon
13 Adam Milner
Subs (all used)
40 Éloi Pélissier
19 Ted Chapelhow
8 Gil Dudson
21 Lewis Baxter
Tries: O’Keefe (38), Drinkwater (66)
Goals: Dixon 2/2
SCORING SEQUENCE: 2-0, 8-0, 14-0, 14-6; 16-6, 22-6, 22-12, 28-12
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Bulls: Jordan Lilley; Oldham: Phoenix Laulu-Togaga’e
Penalty count: 4-8
Half-time: 14-6
Referee: James Vella
Attendance: 3,087