Widnes Vikings fell to a late 14-12 defeat at Bradford Bulls in Round 3 of the Betfred Championship.
The Vikings came from behind to lead 6-4 at half-time thanks to Shane Grady’s second try in as many away games.
The cagey nature of the contest continued into the second half as Ben Blackmore and Adam Lawton exchanged tries either side of a Kieran Dixon penalty goal to leave the Vikings 12-8 ahead.
But with time running out, the hosts had the final say as Tom Holmes crossed out wide and Dec Patton added the all-important conversion to help the Bulls win it at the death.
Team news
There was just one change to the side which lined up for last Sunday’s Round 2 victory at home to Keighley Cougars.
Back from a concussion-related absence, Adam Lawton returned and was amongst the interchanges, with Sam Wilde named as 18th man and Will Evans missing out.
Under new concussion protocols, the 18th man is able to come off the bench if three of his team-mates fail their HIA’s during the match.
Story of the game
It was very nearly a perfect start for the Vikings as Danny Craven’s kick-off was allowed to bounce into touch by the Bulls.
The resultant set almost yielded first points as Craven kicked crossfield for Shane Grady, who couldn’t quite reel in the ball under pressure and knocked it forward.
A cagey 20 minutes followed, then midway through the first half, Adam Lawton looked to have claimed first points after crashing onto a short ball close to the line, but the referee ruled that he was held up and the turnover was forced instead.
Not long after, the hosts finally broke the deadlock, and it was a quick shift towards the left flank which saw Kieran Gill collect Dec Patton’s cut-out ball before sending David Foggin-Johnston over in the corner.
A turning point in the first half saw Bulls full-back Tom Holmes pushed back into his own in-goal area for a drop-out, and his reaction in the aftermath saw a yellow card brandished by referee Ben Thaler.
That man advantage was one the Vikings quickly made advantage of as Shane Grady collected Joe Lyons’ drop-off pass and crashed through a gap in the defensive line to score a try in the second successive away match.
The hosts hit the front for the first time 12 minutes after half-time, and it was another shift to the edges which saw Holmes find Ben Blackmore to cross down the right touchline.
Kieran Dixon kicked a penalty goal to level the scores at 8-8 not long after, before Lawton powered his way over in trademark fashion after collecting a short pass from Craven.
That looked to have been enough for the Vikings, but it was the Bulls who won it at the death through Holmes, who powered his way over after a scrum play towards their left edge.
Patton held his nerve and added the conversion, and there wasn’t enough time for the Vikings to find a response in the seconds that remained.
Next game
Monday 27 February – Halifax Panthers (H) – 7:45pm
Teams and scorers
Bradford Bulls: Tom Holmes, Ben Blackmore, Joe Arundel, Kieran Gill, David Foggin-Johnston, Dec Patton, Jordan Lilley, Jordan Baldwinson, George Flanagan Snr, Fenton Rogers, Brad England, Chester Butler, Bodene Thompson.
Interchanges: Kevin Appo, George Roby, Masi Matongo, AJ Wallace (18th man: Myles Lawford).
Tries: Foggin-Johnston, Blackmore, Holmes
Goals: Patton
Widnes Vikings: Jack Owens, Ryan Millar, Matt Fleming, Joe Edge, Kieran Dixon, Danny Craven, Joe Lyons, Ant Walker, Matty Fozard, Kyle Amor, Shane Grady, Olly Davies, Liam Bent.
Interchanges: Aaron Brown, Callum Field, Lewis Hatton, Adam Lawton (18th man: Sam Wilde).
Tries: Grady, Lawton
Goals: Dixon 2
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