Betfred Challenge Cup third round: Bradford Bulls 62 York Acorn 6
For a while it was a contest but the Bulls were 30-6 ahead at half-time and added 32 without reply in the second half.
The first plaudits went to the hundreds of volunteers who shovelled snow and carried it away in wheelbarrows both the day before the match and on the morning of the contest.
Acorn, playing what was probably the equal biggest game of their 50-year history – they lost 62-1 to Hull KR in an identical stage of the competition 17 years ago – had the backing of at least two coachloads of supporters, plus others who had arrived in cars.
The hosts had the first attacking opportunity and made it count, with Brad Foster powering his way over by the posts for Dec Patton to add the goal.
The visitors then replied, to huge cheers, with powerful prop Tim Stubbs going over for stand-off Antony Chilton to convert for 6-6. Game on!
Parity did not last long, however, as Chester Butler penetrated and gave a tasty hand-off before full back George Flanagan Jnr scored, with Patton’s goal making it 12-6.
His up-and-under was then spilled by diminutive winger Ben Dale, and Kieran Gill was the beneficiary, picking up the loose ball to score the first of what would turn out to be a hat-trick.
Patton again added the goal but Acorn then almost went over on the left, with centre Joe Arundel scragging winger Ben Tenge to the floor in the left-hand corner.
Bulls debutant Jayden Myers was then shoved into touch 10 metres out, and Keven Appo knocked on near the Acorn line before fellow prop Ebon Scurr came off the bench to show the Bulls what they had been missing when he was suspended.
Scurr was denied after one strong run but not the second time, plunging over to make Patton’s goal kick easy.
Bulls were breaking tackles now as the half neared a close and Gill, who had run strongly down the right, switched sides to go over on the left, with Patton again improving.
Fenton Rogers was sin-binned just before half-time for use of the elbow but the Bulls didn’t suffer without him, despite Acorn’s playmaker Antony Chilton finding a 40-20 early in the second half.
Centre Ryan Gallacher was held up before Chilton put in two cross-kicks, the second of which was grabbed by Bulls winger David Foggin-Johnston, who reached halfway on the counter-attack.
Then Myles Lawford almost danced his way over for the Bulls before Scurr burst through for his second try nine minutes after the break.
Patton took a knock on the ankle in the build-up so Flanagan Jnr popped over the goal.
Lawford then dummied to his left and spotted a gap to scoot over before Patton surprisingly sliced the goal attempt to the left of the posts.
Neat interplay put Gill over for his hat-trick, and Flanagan Jnr curled the ball over superbly from the right to make it 46-6.
Flanagan Jnr's inside pass then almost put over Foggin-Johnston over in the left-hand corner before Patton’s kick infield found Flanagan Jnr, who gave a try-scoring pass to Keven Appo, his first try for the Bulls.
The goal was kicked by Flanagan Jnr, and debutant Jayden Myers then went over on the right to match Appo.
Patton then showed that he had recovered from his knock by showing strength and a neat turn of pace to go over for the Bulls’ 11th try, Flanagan Jnr’s goal making it 62-6.
Bulls: Flanagan Jnr; Jayden Myers, Arundel, Gill, Foggin-Johnston; Patton, Lawford; Appo, Flanagan Snr, Johnson, Butler, Wallace, Foster. Interchange: Baldwinson, Scurr, Green, Rogers. 18th man: Adams.
Acorn: Parker; Tenge, Jordan Myers, Gallacher, Dale; Chilton, Conroy; Stubbs, N Speck, Bulmer, Hunt, Hyde, Holder. Interchange: Byworth, Rushworth, Byrnes, Woods. 18th man: Prescott.
Referee: Aaryn Belafonte
Attendance: 1,143
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News source www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk
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