BRADFORD BULLS 6 OULTON RAIDETTES 42
LORRAINE MARSDEN, Edge Hall Road Community Stadium, Orrell, Sunday

A STRONG start and finish ultimately proved the difference as Oulton beat Championship rivals Bradford to claim the Challenge Plate.

It was the first time the two sides have faced each other this season and it was the Raidettes who got off to the perfect start with a quickfire double through Honey Spence and Maddie Hirst, both converted by former Huddersfield Super League player Frankie Townend.

After that early flurry the game settled down with both sides creating chances, but they were unable to find the final pass or move to allow them to score.

India Thorp went close to adding a third for Oulton but knocked on over the line before the Bulls enjoyed their best spell of prolonged possession, which ultimately paid off when Evelyn Askin crashed over. Phoebe Allott added the conversion, so it was 12-6 at half-time.

Oulton came out firing once again after the break and Townend found a gap in the Bradford defence, racing through to increase their lead.

Townend, who had goaled, went from scorer to provider when her high kick was not dealt with by Bradford, allowing Spence to grab her second of the game, again converted. 

Bradford then kept their opponents at bay for almost 20 minutes before Oulton ran in three tries in the final five minutes, with Townend, Abby Briggs and Leah McFarlane touching down.

Townend kept up her 100 percent record with the boot – her seventh successful conversion proving the last kick of the match.

BULLS: 1 Aimee Martin, 24 Martha Robinson, 27 Evelyn Askin, 2 Gracie Dutton, 28 Mia Barrett, 15 Courtney Marsh, 7 Phoebe Allott, 8 Sarah Garland, 17 Lucy Butterfield, – Michaela Magonya, 11 Tamzin Butterfield, 12 Georgia Connolly, 13 Cody Marsh. Subs (all used): 6 Olivia Chambers, 19 Chloe Carter, 21 Amelia Bairstow, 23 Ella Cairns, 4 Amber Thirkill

Tries: Askin (29); Goals: Allott 1/1

RAIDETTES: 1 Holly Humphries, 2 Ellie Greenfield, 3 India Thorp, 12 Tullyanne Flint, 5 Honey Spence, 6 Frankie Townend, 23 Dani Rose-Hetherington, 10 KJ Wilkinson, 9 Leah McFarlane, 8 Maddie Hirst, 11 Abby Briggs, 4 Vanessa Harriman, 13 Katy Fisher. Subs (all used): 19 Ellie Indie, 7 Leila Harrap, 14 Kiah Holmes, 21 Darcy Westwood

Tries: Spence (1, 55), Hirst (5), Townend (42, 75), Briggs (77), McFarlane (79); Goals: Townend 7/7

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-12, 6-12; 6-18, 6-24, 6-30, 6-36, 6-42

Half-time: 6-12; Referee: Rebecca Floyd