Doncaster RLFC suffer derby defeat at Bradford as mini-slump continues

The Dons defended well for the first quarter but fell away alarmingly as their efforts took its toll in the second and found themselves trailing an impressive Bradford side 26-0 at the break.

The Dons rallied in the second and proved to the home crowd that they are a better side than their first half efforts suggested -despite losing two players to injury.

The Dons had failed to score when going down 52-0 against Toulouse last time out, and again offered little in attack in the first half.

Apart from when stand-off Ben Johnston tested the Bradford defence on several occasions, and prop Pauli Pauli dropped the ball over the line, during their best spell when the score was only 4-0, they were mainly on the back foot.

The Dons probably wouldn’t have chosen a visit the Bulls, now up to fourth, when trying to bounce back from their heaviest defeat of the season. But, as they are finding out, there are few easy games on the road at this level.

Although they contributed to their downfall in the first half with numerous handling errors – the Bulls were equally as guilty in the opening stages - they struggled to contain the strong-running Bradford forwards and their creative backs.

Bulls continued to dominate the territorial exchanges after the restart and after being thwarted by some improved defence, Keven Appo, who had proved a handful in the first half, crashed over from close range on 48 minutes. Half-back Jordan Lilley again added the extras to leave the Dons trailing 32-0.

But if they, and their supporters, expected the one-way traffic to continue, the Dons had other ideas. The visitors went close to opening their account two minutes later when winger Bureta Faraimo was held up over the line.

They remained on the attack and winger Tom Halliday beat his opposite number to a pin-point high kick to the corner by scrum-half Connor Robinson.

There could have been a second try, as the Dons turned defence into attack, had Farimo been able to find Robinson on his inside after a strong run down the left flank.

They continued to trouble the Bulls at times with some enterprising handling in what proved to be a more even second half without adding to their score. Bradford again showed how it was done when Lilley scored from close range three minutes from time.

Dons: Hall, Faraimo, Hey, Tali, Halliday, Johnston, Robinson, Pauli, Lovodua, Matagi, Sutcliffe, Ferres, Knowles. Subs: Foster, Holdstock, Mafi, Taulapapa. 18th Guzdek.