Bulldogs left wanting more from six-point weekend against Titans and Ducks

DOUBLE TROUBLE: Lucas Vince scored twice but it wasn’t enough to secure three points for Bradford against Deeside. Picture: Andy Bourke/Podium Prints.

ANDY BROWN felt Bradford Bulldogs could count themselves unlucky to have emerged from a double-header weekend with just the one point as their search for a home win in 2024-25 continued. 

On both occasions, the Bulldogs came off second-best by the narrowest of margins, following up a 4-3 defeat at Sheffield Titans on Saturday by losing out in a shoot-out to Deeside Ducks at The Pound. 

It leaves the Bulldogs third bottom in the NIHL North Two standings after none games, three points off Sheffield and two above Deeside.

“I felt we played okay this weekend and were unlucky to only get the one point,” said Brown. 

“We did have a poor start against Sheffield and gave up three weak goals. But after that I felt we were more than equal to them, winning the second and third period but perhaps just lacking a little quality in front of goal to at least take it to overtime.

“On Sunday, we started better, scoring first and dominating the first 10 minutes. We did take our foot of the pedal, though and allowed Deeside back into the game. 

“We still had our chances to win the game in the third but again we were just lacking the quality to get the job done. 

“Going to OT was probably fair on both teams and, while, we had our chances again to take the win, it wasn’t to be.”

Captain Kieron Furlong got his team off to the perfect start against Deeside the following day when his speculative long-range effort from just outside the Ducks’ zone found its way into the top corner with just 64 seconds on the clock.

But the Bulldogs found themselves trailing when the Ducks struck twice within a minute, Stewart Cutting equalising before Daniels Fadejevs got his team ahead at 8.06.

FRUSTRATION: Bulldogs’ head coach, Andy Brown, felt his players deserved more from their two-game weekend. Picture: Andy Bourke/Podium Prints

Lucas Vince got his team back in it when he won the puck in the neutral zone before dancing clear to score a shorthanded goal at 25.42. 

But former Bulldogs’ player Kieran Clarkson was able to restore his team’s advantage when he was left alone at the back door to make it 3-2 on the power play just 13 seconds later.

The lead then doubled just 20 seconds later when Thomas Milnes was allowed to drive through the middle, exchange passes with Fadejevs before beating Jack Mickevicius from close range.

But the Bulldogs allied, making it a one-goal game though another short-handed effort, this time Hathaway intercepting a pass before dancing clear and rounding Paul Jones at 31.04. 

The teams were all-square again when Vince benefitted from good work by Kacper Andrukianiec to blast home from the bottom of the left circle at 35.22.

The Bulldogs then got themselves ahead again when Thomas Carroll picked up a rebound of Furlong’s long-range effort to beat Jones at his near post, registering his first goal for the team at 36.49.

It wasn’t long into the third period, however, before the Ducks dragged themselves level and it wsa another former Bulldogs’ player to do the damage, Michael Spear seizing on a loos puck in the right circle and beating mIckevicus down low at 41.59. 

Chances came and went at both ends and even though they had a three-minute power play after Milnes was tossed from the game for a kick, the Bulldogs couldn’t find a way to get the job done in regulation, or indeed overtime when that came. 

The subsequent shoot-out saw Josh Jones and Kiean Clakson find the net and even though Archie Grayson and Ben Fox responded for the hosts, it was left to Speare to inflict pain on his former team-mates when his back-handed effort into Mickevicius’s top roght-hand corner secured the extra point on offer.

Bulldogs leave themselves with too much to do in Sheffield

In Sheffield, the Bulldogs gave themselves a mountain to climb after giving up three unanswered goals inside 13 minutes, Aiden Dancer breaking the deadlock with just 2.10 on the board.

It got worse for the visitors just 30 seconds later when Lewis Swaffield was quickest to react to a rebound off Jake Lowndes and poke the puck home for a 2-0 lead.

Bulldogs had chances at the other end but failed to convert, paying the price when a giveaway in their own zone allowed Joe Matthewman to fire past Lowndes to make it 3-0 at 12.52.

Having outshot the Titans in the fist, the Bulldogs deservedly got back in the game just over three minutes into the third through Kai Hathaway. 

ON TARGET: Kai Hathaway took his tally to eight goals in three games for the Bulldogs in the 4-3 defeat at Sheffield titans. Picture: Podium Prints/ Andy Bourke.

It looked like that was as close as Bradford would get until the closing minutes of the third when Joe Howie made it a one-goal game, only for the hosts to hit back almost immediately when Harry Roebuck converted from in front to make it 4-2 at 54.33.

With only 73 seconds remaining, Hathaway struck for a second time to ensure nerves on the home bench but, despite pulling Lowndes, there was no way back for a third time.