BARROW 50 BULLS 6

SO THERE will be no Wembley trip for the Bulls this year.

Three days after the Challenge Cup quarter-final heartache, their 1895 Cup campaign was over as quickly as it began with a heavy defeat in Cumbria.

It means five losses in six for the Bulls but John Kear will not take this one to heart after fielding the youngest team in the club’s history with an average age of just 20 years and six months.

Amazingly, Colton Roche was the only player alive when Bradford had last visited Craven Park for a 54-30 cup win in 1994 – and was just seven months old at the time.

Roche was the senior man in a line-up all changed from last weekend and featuring 10 debutants, all Academy graduates.

John Bastian may have left Odsal for Hull KR but his legacy lives on. As the search begins for a successor, it will be some act to follow.

Sadly, the men proved too much for the boys as Barrow produced a second half blow-out to ultimately cruise through to the last eight of the new competition for teams beneath Super League.

With only one win from their previous 15 games, the Raiders understandably filled their boots when they had the chance and rattled up 50 unanswered points.

But Kear had always insisted there was never any pressure on his young charges in a game that will represent a huge learning curve.

Even with the lop-sided outcome, youngsters such as Cobi Green will have done themselves no harm with plenty of maturity about their play.

The biggest downer for the Bulls coach was seeing Joe Brown and Keelan Foster both helped from the field as the club’s injury jinx continues to bite. Ashley Gibson had been a late withdrawal from what should have been his 200th senior appearance.

At least, the Bulls did have the honour of going in ahead at the half-time hooter.

They earned that for an energetic opening 40 minutes where they showed enthusiasm at both ends.

Brown twice spilled early scoring chances as the Bulls began brightly before Brandon Pickersgill pulled off a try-saving tackle to thwart Jordan Walne on the goal-line.

There were some bruising exchanges down the middle and Brown did well to wrap up Wartovo Puana junior’s break deep into Bulls territory.

The Bulls were forced into three drop-outs – but any home pressure was diffused by knock-ons from two of them.

And the hunger of the visitors was rewarded with the opening try on 22 minutes as Pickersgill followed in his cute grubber to score under the posts, Alix Stephenson getting on the scoresheet with the extras.

Tee Ritson had an instant reply scrubbed off for obstruction but the Bulls were breached just after the half hour when Alec Susino plunged in from close range. But Jamie Dallimore fluffed the simple conversion which he clanged against a post.

Bradley Gallagher then once again summed up the verve of the young visitors when he came up with a big hit on Susino to preserve the two-point advantage at the hooter.

It was a very different story after the restart though.

Puana’s kick forced yet another drop-out in the opening moments and Barrow cashed in this time with Jono Smith burrowing in.

The Raiders had a point to prove and swiftly conjured another try with winger Brett Carter diving over in the corner after quick hands stretched the defence.

And Jarrad Stack jinked his way through a tiring Bulls line for their third score in the space of 11 minutes.

All the action was consigned to the Bulls end and they had to survive another goalline drop-out. But Dan Toal ran in Barrow’s fifth try midway through the half as the onslaught went on.

Bradford briefly weathered the increasing storm until Jake Spedding made the break from 40 metres out and raced away for more.

Barrow were still not finished and Dallimore added his name to the try list before tacking on another conversion – making it 38 unanswered points since the Bulls had struck first.

Deon Cross proved too strong for the Bulls left side to become the eighth different try scorer before Dallimore rounded off Barrow’s fun with the pick of the bunch.

His kick through was collected by Spedding who played in the stand-off to bring up the half-century.

BARROW: Ritson 7, Carter 7, Stack 7, Amean 6, Cross 7, Dallimore 8, Puara 7, Johnson 6, Mossop 6, Walne 7, Smith 8, Morrow 6, Aspinwall 7. Interchange: Spedding 7, Walker 6, Toal 7, Susino 7.

BULLS: Brown 6, Stephenson 6, Culling 6, Butterworth 6, Rickett 6, Pickersgill 7, Green 8, Bustin 6, Doyle 6, Magrin 6, Roche 6, Gallagher 6, Scurr 6. Interchange: Foster 6, Lightowler 6, Berry 6, O’Hanlon 6.

BULLS MAN OF THE MATCH: Cobi Green orchestrated the Bulls well and his kicking game was consistent.

ATTENDANCE: 1,161