BRADFORD BULLS 36 WIDNES VIKINGS 20
KEITH McGHIE, Bartercard Odsal, Sunday
MITCH SOUTER inspired Bradford to cast aside their colossal 1895 Cup disappointment from seven days earlier and graft a hard-fought victory over valiant Widnes.
The still-smarting Bulls bossed much of the opening 20 minutes and most of the second half, but in between the Vikings twice came from behind to lead at the break.
And while there will be no trip to Wembley in a fortnight, Bradford are able to reflect on six consecutive Championship wins, dating back to March 21, while climbing to second in the table.
The Vikings, so inconsistent this season, remain three points adrift of the play-off places but drop to eighth in the table, having won just one of their last five matches.
The Bulls welcomed back playmaker Joe Keyes and prop Ebon Scurr after both had been absent for a month with finger and calf injuries respectively.
Widnes, who beat Bradford in all three meetings last year, made six changes to the side that lost at home to Featherstone.
They threw new Australian signings Jake Maizen and Morgan McWhirter straight into the fray, with long-term loanee from Leigh AJ Towse also starting, while Rhys Williams returned for the first time since April and Rhodri Lloyd and Nick Gregson also returned.
The Bulls, playing in a mainly pink strip that had been commissioned to celebrate the city’s Capital of Culture status in 2025, began with the previous week’s hurt still evident.
It took less than six minutes of notably direct running for Logan Bayliss-Brow to open the scoring, charging through several defenders to touch down.
Keyes, needing seven points for a career thousand, then dazzlingly and diagonally weaved his way past three would-be tacklers to score and Jordan Lilley’s two conversions took the Bulls into double figures in less than even time.
But the momentum of the match turned after the initial quarter.
A Joe Lyons bomb in unpredictably gusty conditions was taken cleanly by Maizen, who spun away from the challenging Luke Hooley to score on his debut.
Within two minutes Widnes were level as a fine handling move to the right was finished by Jack Owens, who took his points tally into four figures for the Vikings with his touchdown.
Tom Gilmore converted both tries and the game took on a completely different complexion.
The Bulls restored their lead, however, when a brilliant Hooley offload behind the tackler put Guy Armitage in by the corner flag.
Lilley judged the wind to perfection to land the goal, but an alert Matty Fozard dived over from dummy-half just before the break to make matters all-square again.
In the dying seconds a Gilmore field-goal attempt was charged down by Souter, but the Bulls hooker was immediately penalised for not standing square and the Vikings’ halfback made no mistake from the tee.
Danny Langtree was somehow held short and Lilley missed a penalty when Waqa Blake was pulled back while hunting a Keyes kick.
Matty Gee spilled the ball with the line beckoning but, on the hour and out of nothing, Souter kicked through, picked up and then reached out to edge his side ahead for the third time.
Sam Hallas then twisted his way over as the Bulls’ pressure ultimately proved decisive and Lilley’s subsequent kick gave them much-needed breathing space.
Lilley had a try ruled out before Gee iced the cake by claiming the Bulls’ sixth try right on the final hooter.
GAMESTAR: Mitch Souter worked hard for 80 minute and his innovative moment of magic put Bradford ahead for the decisive time.
GAMEBREAKER: Sam Hallas’ determination not to be stopped with five minutes to play gave the Bulls a two-score lead again.
MATCHFACTS
BULLS
26 Luke Hooley
27 Jayden Okunbor
3 Waqa Blake
4 Kieran Gill
5 Guy Armitage
9 Jordan Lilley
7 Joe Keyes
15 Logan Bayliss-Brow
14 Mitch Souter
8 Michael Lawrence
11 Zac Fulton
12 Matty Gee
9 Sam Hallas
Subs (all used)
10 Ebon Scurr
13 James Donaldson
16 Nathan Mason
20 Ronan Michael
Tries: Bayliss-Brow (6), Keyes (9), Armitage (31), Souter (60), Hallas (75), Gee (80)
Goals: Lilley 6/7
VIKINGS
33 Jake Maizen
27 AJ Towse
1 Jack Owens
4 Joe Edge
29 Rhys Williams
6 Joe Lyons
7 Tom Gilmore
8 Dan Murray
9 Jordan Johnstone
16 Liam Kirk
11 Rhodri Lloyd
12 Danny Langtree
18 Nick Gregson
Subs (all used)
13 Morgan McWhirter
14 Matty Fozard
10 Martyn Reilly
21 Gavin Bennion
Tries: Maizen (21), Owens (23), Fozard (31)
Goals: Gilmore 4/4
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0, 12-6, 12-12, 18-12, 18-18, 18-20; 24-20, 30-20, 36-20
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Bulls: Mitch Souter; Vikings: Jake Maizen
Penalty count: 8-5
Half-time: 18-20
Referee: Kevin Moore
Attendance: 3,311