Betfred League One: Workington Town 17 Bradford Bulls 16

BRADFORD Bulls’ unbeaten record was ended in dramatic fashion by Leon Pryce's Workington in the Derwent Park sunshine.

The game was tied at 16-16 when Town full back Jordan Tansey landed a 78th-minute drop goal.

Tries for the Bulls came from Ross Peltier and Jake Butler-Fleming, while Joe Keyes kicked four penalty goals.

Points for Town came from tries by Caine Barnes and Elliott Milner, the centre going over after 75 minutes, with Tansey landing four goals in addition to that late drop goal.

Callum Bustin was put on report for a high tackle on Town’s unofficial man of the match Jamie Doran, with Tansey getting the official verdict.

Dane Chisholm was sin-binned in both the first half and the second half for the visitors in a game that was well policed by Bradford-based referee Liam Staveley.

The Bulls had only five survivors from their starting line-up against Hunslet – the left side partnership of Ross Oakes and Ethan Ryan in the backs, Chisholm at scrum half, Matt Garside in the second row and Brandon Pickersgill.

However, Pickersgill switched from stand-off to full back to allow Keyes to return in the half-backs.

Elliot Minchella was promoted from the interchange bench to the second row, while Steve Crossley did likewise to play at prop.

Liam Johnson, Peltier and Mikey Wood joined George Flanagan on the bench in what coach John Kear called the fourth match of the Easter programme.

Town brought in winger John Patrick and scrum half Carl Forber, with Joe Ryan coming onto the bench.

Workington Town knocked-on early on but winger Joe Hambley ran the ball out of defence well, as did centre Scott Akehurst on the next drive.

Tansey then flailed at an up-and-under but Forber tapped it dead to force Town's first goal-line drop-out.

But the hosts then conceded the game's first penalty in the seventh minute, quickly followed by another, and they showed a mixture of hesitation and fluidity before the Bulls knocked on looking to intercept.

Akehurst then knocked on himself with Town pressing the visitors' line in the tenth minute.

Keeping to the mantra that they have shown all season in terms of taking points when they are available, however, the Bulls again decided to kick at goal when they got their first penalty, and Keyes kicked the goal from 30 metres out.

However, the Bulls then strayed offside and Tansey levelled the scores with a penalty from a slight angle on the 20-metre line.

There then seemed to be a lack of communication in defence by the Bulls as Pickersgill and returning winger Dalton Grant went for the same up and under, and the ball popped up for loose forward Barnes to catch it and go over.

Tansey's goal made it 8-2, and Town then went close when Forber was hauled down just short after 27 minutes, following a Bulls knock-on just inside their 30-metre line.

Visiting interchange Flanagan was then held up over line but showed dissent to the referee and conceded a penalty.

Town's Gordon Maudling almost wriggled his way to the line but was superbly tackled by Chisholm, who then lay on him to concede a penalty and was sin-binned, with Tansey kicking an easy goal to make it 10-2.

The hosts were then offside 25 metres out, giving Keyes an easy penalty shot from in front after 37 minutes.

However, despite being a man down, the Bulls reached the interval at 10-10, mainly due to Peltier.

His strong drive caused interchange Andrew Dawson to concede a penalty, and Peltier was on the end of the move from the tap penalty to reach the line after 38 minutes, with Keyes levelling matters with the kick at goal.

The Bulls forced an early goal-line drop-out, which came to nothing, but then Pickersgill had a try ruled out for a double movement.

Doran's kick then put Town on the offensive.

However, they made a pig's ear of it with James Newton's grubber hitting a team-mate who was ahead of him.

The Bulls forced another goal-line drop-out, which came to nothing.

Butler-Fleming finally put the Bulls ahead again, showing good speed and strength to brush off several would-be tacklers on an angled run from the right in the 54th minute.

Keyes' goal made it 16-10 to the visitors.

The Bulls were again grateful for Ethan Ryan's ability to pluck the ball out of the air in defence as the game went towards the hour.

Town's Gordon Maudling was then injured after a good forward drive, with the physio immediately calling for a replacement and the club doctor after what looked like a serious knee injury to his right knee.

Ryan Bailey won a penalty after a strong run, and Doran was then clothes-lined by Chisholm, who received his second yellow card of the game in the 66th minute.

Staveley also put the incident on report.

Doran's grubber then forced a goal-line drop-out a minute later but the kick was knocked on by a hesitant Forber.

A stiff Keyes tackle then forced a Town knock-on, and the same player was then wide with a low, raking drop-goal attempt after 71 minutes.

A neat catch and offload by Tansey gave centre Miller the chance to run on a lovely angle from the right and score a fine try in the 75th minute.

Tansey made it 16-16 with the kick before landing that crucial drop goal to send the home fans delirious, while his team-mates were jumping for joy.