DEWSBURY RAMS 30 BRADFORD BULLS 28
CHRISTIAN LEE, FLAIR Stadium, Sunday
LIAM COPLAND’s last-gasp try broke Bradford hearts as Dewsbury prevailed in an enthralling encounter.
Bradford thought they had won it with a late penalty goal, but a magic offload out of the back of the hand from Louie Walker set up Copland in the corner.
Earlier, Bradford had got off to the perfect start, scoring early tries through Bayley Liu and Eliot Peposhi.
Liu crossed first when he touched down a deft kick-through from Sam Ackroyd before Peposhi crashed over minutes later.
Ackroyd could only add the goal for Peposhi’s effort.
The Rams began to work their way back into the game as the half progressed and they hit back with a two-try burst of their own to take the lead.
Dewsbury’s debutant Craig McShane looked to have scuppered an overlap as the Rams worked the ball wide, but instead he cut back inside and found his way to the line for Dewsbury’s first.
It was then Bradford’s turn to be punished for an error as a slick scrum set play created room for Copland to dive over untouched in the corner.
Paul Sykes kicked both conversions to edge his side ahead.
Not to be deterred, late in the half Bradford forced back-to-back sets on the Rams’ line and eventually Peposhi barged over for his second.
Ackroyd’s missed conversion meant that Bradford led by just two points at the break.
Beginning the second half, Dewsbury started the faster of the sides and quickly regained the lead.
Toby Everett crashed onto a perfectly-timed pass from Sykes and dived over before a slick, sweeping move from left to right outstripped Bradford’s defence and Tom Delaney was on hand to finish it with an acrobatic put-down. Sykes couldn’t add the goal for the latter of the tries.
Just as the game looked to be drifting away from the young Bradford side, they were hauled back into it by Emmanuel Waine.
Going for the powerplay on the last, the prop barged his way over the line for his first try and moments later he swatted away two would-be tacklers before diving under the posts, giving Bradford the lead as Ackroyd converted both scores.
Again, just as one side looked to be in the ascendancy, errors invited the other back into the game.
After forcing a repeat set, the ball was spread to Dewsbury centre Keenen Tomlinson, who was too strong for his opposite defender and dived over to restore parity. Sykes had the chance to edge Dewsbury ahead but his effort drifted wide.
In the final minutes, Bradford looked to have won the game with an Ackroyd penalty goal but there would be one last twist.
Looking to hit back, Dewsbury were awarded a penalty of their own in a kickable position but chose to go for the win.
After going close through Jack McShane, the ball was kept alive and shovelled to Walker, whose sumptuous flick pass found Copland unmarked on the wing.
Sykes couldn’t convert the try but it would be irrelevant as Bradford spilled the ball on the hooter.
GAMESTAR: In a game that lacked real quality, Louie Walker’s inspired flick pass to find Liam Copland in the corner won the game for his side.
GAMEBREAKER: Copland’s last-minute try broke the hearts of a young Bradford side who thought they had won it through Sam Ackroyd’s earlier penalty.
MATCHFACTS
RAMS
30 Craig McShane
22 Liam Copland
4 George Senior
15 Keenen Tomlinson
27 Tom Delaney
26 Paul Sykes
25 Louie Walker
8 Jackson Walker
21 Joel Russell
18 Jamie Field
14 Luke Mearns
17 AJ Boardman
20 Harvey Roberts
Subs
3 Caelum Jordan
7 Jacob Hookem (not used)
10 Toby Everett
13 Dec Tomlinson
16 Louis Collinson
19 Jack Briggs
23 Will Shaw
31 Jack McShane
Tries: McShane (20), Copland (25, 77), Everett (44), Delaney (51), Tomlinson (68)
Goals: Sykes 3/6
BULLS
1 George Rayner
2 Joel Rice
3 Lewis Hagan
4 Harvey Duckworth
5 Bayley Tait
6 Sam Ackroyd
7 Mason Corbett
8 Emmanuel Waine
9 Tyran Ott
10 Nathan Mason
11 Bayley Liu
12 Eliot Peposhi
13 Sam Hallas
Subs (all used)
14 Lewis Owens
16 Jacob Bateman
17 Harry Gray
19 Kameron Siddique
20 Cameron Bate
23 Alfie Leake
24 Jamie Gill
Tries: Liu (5), Peposhi (9, 32), Waine (55, 60)
Goals: Ackroyd 4/6
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 0-10, 6-10, 12-10, 12-14; 18-14, 22-14, 22-20, 22-26, 26-26, 26-28, 30-28
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Rams: Louie Walker; Bulls: Emmanuel Waine
Penalty count: 7-7
Half-time: 12-14
Referee: Aaryn Belafonte
