MATCH REPORT | Bradford 38 Dons 4

The Dons went down 38-4 away at Bradford Bulls in the Betfred Championship on Sunday afternoon.

Doncaster RLFC travelled a much shorter distance this weekend to Bradford, another tough Betfred Championship fixture. 

The opening 10 minutes saw both teams making errors with neither side looking to take the initiative. 

However, it was in the tenth that Bradford did just that, Davies finishing off a move made up of several passes creating a gap to go over the line. 

Lilley unable to add the extras. 

The next five or so minutes resulted in a response from the visitors, a sustained period of pressure inside the Bradford 20 but after a couple of resets the Dons couldn’t find the breakthrough. 

From that moment on the home side really started to go through the gears and after forcing the play to stay within the Doncaster half Souter found his way in. 

Lilley this time adding the extras. 

The first quarter of an hour Bradford weren’t punishing the errors made by the visitors, but from the half hour mark they did exactly that. 

After thinking they were in only to be held up, the hosts continued the pressure and Gill finally found his way over the line and Lilley adding to the scoreboard. 

Straight from the kick-off the hosts chewed through the metres, finding a kick from 30 metres out, centre to right with Okunbor underneath it to put down in the corner. Lilley missing his second of the afternoon. 

Only another couple of sets and a kick downfield was chased and that chasing pack managed to drag Hall behind from 20 metres out. The resulting return kick saw Bradford drive through the gears and find themselves over again. 

Holmes with the try. 

The visitors simply gave themselves too much defending to do and Bradford were able to find their rhythm and punish errors. 

The second period didn’t have anything of note until minute 47 and unfortunately for the visitors it was the hosts that found themselves adding to the scoreline. Appo finishing off an attacking set through the middle and Lilley adding to his points total. 

Despite the scoreboard not looking well, Doncaster weren’t ready to give in and found themselves over the line twice, only to be held on both occasions. Continuing the pressure Connor Robinson found a kick into the right corner, Tom Halliday collected and grounded to give the Dons something to go at. 

Robinson wasn’t able to collect the maximum points but it did spark the Dons into life. 

A hand-off from Ilikaya Mafi inside the 20 was almost finished, a burst downfield from Bureta Faraimo looked promising but couldn’t find a pass and another Robinson kick almost created a carbon copy of the Dons try but on that occasion Halliday couldn’t find the finish. 

The game entered the 54th minute and Joe Lovodua was alleged to have tripped Holmes and found himself in the sin bin. 

An hour in Doncaster had found moments but no additional points with the Bradford defence holding up. 

A more even game in the second period saw the tie being played mainly in the middle area of the pitch, although three minutes from time Lilley for the hosts found his way over again adding the extras to finish off the game.