BULLS 48 WORKINGTON 18

JASON Hirst’s target for a top-four finish next season has not surprisingly been dismissed as fanciful by disgruntled Bulls fans.

A lot has to change on and off the field between now and then for the CEO’s ambitious aim to become even remotely possible.

In the short term, it’s about trying to rebuild a fractured relationship with the supporters after a wretched campaign.

The gaps around Odsal demonstrated the dwindling backing behind the current team as the season meanders to an underwhelming conclusion.

But at least, there were smiles back on faces after an emphatic 42-point second half against Workington clinched a first win in six attempts.

The Cumbrians may be bottom for a reason – having lost 21 out of 22 – and their relegation was confirmed with this latest defeat. But it was a much-needed two points for the Bulls.

It was a very different occasion to Workington’s last visit three years ago when a 27-8 Bulls win clinched play-off promotion from League One amid jubilant scenes.

Mark Dunning was not being hoisted aloft by his players as John Kear had been on that afternoon.

But his first win since being named permanent coach will have come as a massive relief all round - particularly after they trailed at the interval after a shoddy first half.

With Jordan Lilley and Billy Jowitt both facing lengthy spells on the sidelines, Dunning handed a starting debut to 18-year-old Myles Lawford in the halves after some outstanding performances in the academy.

Alongside him, Dec Patton made his 150th career appearance – and possibly his last in 2022 as he awaits the verdict of the RFL match review panel for his eye-gouging offence against Halifax at the Summer Bash.

Lawford was straight into the action with an eye-catching run that saw him stopped just short of the line after Thomas Doyle had scooped up a wayward Workington pass to create the attack.

But despite back-to-back Bulls sets, Workington held firm and forced Kieran Gill into touch.

The early stages were riddled with penalties which made it stop-start stuff – and it was Workington who struck first from one of them.

Points machine Carl Forber went over from the scrum to claim his 100th career try before slotting the extras.

Odsal seemed nervous as their team fell behind again – and the mood wasn’t helped when Muizz Mustapha landed awkwardly in a tackle and had to be helped from the field.

Steve Crossley was held up a couple of yards away but the lack of cutting edge was apparent – as it has been during this rotten run.

Alexander Clegg went in theatrically in the corner but the Workington winger’s celebration was cut short for a forward pass.

Oscar Thomas didn’t have an easy time in his two years in Bulls colours but he was an influential figure as the visitors continued to grow in confidence.

Jacob Gannon was penalised for a tip tackle and Forber added two more to increase the advantage.

The Bulls finally got on the board on the half hour as Workington backed off enough for Chester Butler to dart through a hole.

It was relief all round but the Bulls immediately handed the initiative straight back to the visitors and needed some desperate defence to hold up three Workington attempts over the line.

But the Bulls’ struggles going forward were plain to see as first Samy Kibula passed straight to a blue shirt and then Joe Burton spilled a ball on their final play before the hooter.

Both sides then struck early after the restart.

Workington took advantage of forcing a goalline drop-out as Connor Terrill eluded George Flanagan to smuggle in under the posts.

But the Bulls respond quickly thanks to a smart grab from AJ Wallace who took Lawford’s bullet pass to stroll through a gap.

Finally, there was a zip in their play and they soon struck again with George Flanagan’s tried and trusted angled wriggle from dummy half giving the Bulls their first lead. Patton’s conversion took him to 150 points for the season.

The Bulls were enjoying themselves and Burton claimed their third try of the half when he evaded a half-challenge to take in Patton’s pass.

Workington responded through Clegg in the corner but Flanagan had more in his locker and produced another burst 10 metres out from dummy half to claim his second try.

Flanagan thought he was on for a hat-trick when Gill sent him charging in but he was reeled in a couple of metres short.

But there was no stopping Gill from Patton’s pass as the top scorer made it five tries in the half.

The point-a-minute avalanche continued with a sixth as Ryan Millar got in on the act, Patton bending in a superb touchline kick to increase the feelgood factor.

And Sam Hallas rounded off the rampage through an inviting hole with one more.

In the grand scheme of things, the result is pretty academic in a campaign where the play-offs are well beyond reach.

But after a rotten July, the hard-bitten Odsal fans will take any reason to cheer.

BULLS: Burton; Dawson-Jones, Butler, Gill, Millar; Patton, Lawford; Mustapha, Doyle, Crossley, Murphy, Wallace, Hallas. Interchange: Flanagan, Gannon, Walker, Kibula.

WORKINGTON: Thomas; Young, Brown, Bickerdike, Clegg; Henson, Forber; Clarke, Simons, Scholey, Steele, Fitzsimmons, Doran. Interchange: Hutchings, Wheetman, Scott, Terrill.