REPORT: Bradford Bulls embarrassed in emphatic Keighley Cougars win

SEVENTY-eight years of hurt were blown away as Keighley Cougars dished out an embarrassing derby demolition to the Bulls.

World War Two was still raging the last time Bradford lost to their BD rivals in a competitive contest - a 5-0 Challenge Cup defeat in April 14, 1945.

Eleven meetings later, that stat was wiped away in emphatic fashion as the Bulls’ away-day woes continue.

While they are perfect at Odsal so far, Mark Dunning’s men have lost three out of three on the road. In fact, the last away win came way back in August at York.

It was a depressing debut for the new black and amber change kit - and an awful day-out for the huge travelling army in Keighley’s biggest crowd for years, announced as 4,793.

George Flanagan was the only survivor on either side from when the Bulls edged home 14-12 in their last meeting four years ago.

David Foggin-Johnston, who also played that day, was not named by Mark Dunning in the 17. Luis Roberts, the latest Leeds dual-reg recruit, took his place.

That was the only change in the starting side. George Roby returned from suspension on the bench and Josh Johnson was also recalled.

The home line-up had a significant Bulls feel to it - Dane Chisholm was back from concussion to partner Luke Gale in the halves and Thomas Doyle lined up at hooker.

And Jake Webster, the veteran assistant-coach, came in for his first Cougars appearance of the season.

But on the back of a good win over a Sheffield side who then hammered Toulouse, the Bulls went into battle in understandably confident manner. It would not last long.

Roberts made a nervy start by spilling the first high ball but his new team-mates saved his bacon by forcing Webster to lose the ball in a tackle five metres from the line.

The Bulls remained under the cosh in the opening minutes. Dec Patton produced a try-saving tackle to cut down Lewis Young and Doyle was held up inches short on the last.

They were struggling to do much going the other way and looked half-asleep with the ball.

The defence continued to hold out - but weren’t helped when Fenton Rogers was sin-binned for a high tackle on Brad Walker.

Still, Joe Arundel superbly rescued the 12 men by bundling Jimmy Keinhorst into touch as the Hull KR loanee stretched to score in the corner.

It was a disruptive, bitty contest as the Bulls found it hard to get out of their own half.

Finally, a testing kick from Patton forced a goalline drop-out. But Kieran Gill’s surge for the line was cut short for a forward pass - and the Bulls top scorer was forced off with a hamstring injury.

Leon Ruan tries to find a gap in the Keighley defence (Image: Tom Pearson.)

The only positive for the visitors was the scoreboard and they returned to a full complement still scoreless.

But that changed on 23 minutes as Keighley loaded the right edge for Robbie Storey to release Alix Stephenson to go over out wide.

Chisholm missed the kick but made amends by forcing a Bulls handling error, kicking the loose ball forward and then pouncing on it under the sticks for a quickfire second try.

The huge away following behind the posts looked stunned - and things were about to get a lot worse.

Debutant Joe Gibbons held off a last-ditch lunge from Tom Holmes to cross again for Keighley.

And with the Bulls still reeling, Cougars made it four tries in the space of 10 minutes as they cut through the left side like a knife through butter for Luke Gale to lead the charge over the line.

A dreadful first half for the visitors ended with Chisholm popping over a penalty to give Keighley a 24-point advantage.

The Bulls needed something early from the restart to have any hope of a comeback.

After negotiating an early goal-line drop-out, they camped themselves on the Keighley goalline - and were left aghast to see a Liam Tindall try ruled out for a mystery penalty.

Nothing was going the Bulls’ way and Chisholm turned the screw once more with a perfectly-placed 40/20 to set the Cougars back on the attack.

After a fortnight out, Chisholm was relishing the big occasion - once more turning it on against the Bulls.

Keighley continued to defend strongly to prevent them getting the slightest foothold in an attritional second period.

If it wasn’t already, the game was officially up for the Bulls on 62 minutes.

Webster streaking away was an unlikely sight but summed up the afternoon as he charged on and on before supplying Charlie Graham to sprint to the corner.

That was the tipping point for a significant numbers of Bulls fans to stream towards the exit.

Young thought he had added another try but lost the ball as he crossed. Not that it mattered by that point.

The Bulls were just trying to avoid the ignominy of being “nilled” by their neighbours. But the Cougars refused to give an inch as they attacked the home line in vain.

Eventually, they did get through as Tindall finished from Jordan Lilley’s pass four minutes from time.

But Cougars were determined to have the last say and showed their clinical edge once again as Storey became their sixth different try scorer.

Man of the match Chisholm landed the kick to get the party rocking in this “small town in West Yorkshire” after such an historic victory.

COUGARS: Young; Graham, Webster, Storey, Stephenson; Chisholm, Gale: Santi, Doyle, Ioane, Keinhorst, Gibbons, Walker. Interchange: Spence, Adebiyi, Parker, Gaylor.

BULLS: Holmes; Roberts, Arundel, Gill, Tindall; Patton, Lilley; Baldwinson, Flanagan, Rogers, Ruan, Wallace, Butler. Interchange: Scurr, Appo, Roby, Johnson.

MAN OF MATCH: Dane Chisholm ran the show against the Bulls - not for the first time.