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BRADFORD Bulls’ play-off journey ended in the Toulouse heat as the hosts ran out 21-20 winners at the Stade Ernest-Wallon this evening.

Heartbreak is the only word to describe it for Eamon O’Carroll’s side, who will have felt well placed to go through to the final at 12-8 ahead with just 23 minutes to go.

Jayden Myers’ second half sinbin resulted in the game’s flow changing and ultimately, it proved a step too far for the visitors, who had already survived Kieran Gill’s sinbin period in the first half.

Temperatures were still at 25 degrees Celsius when kick-off came around, at 5:00 pm (local time).

And Toulouse raced into an early 8-0 lead through Benjamin Laguerre and Paul Ulberg, only eight minutes into the fixture.

But back came 12-man Bulls, who had Gill sent to the sinbin, through tries from Jordan Lilley and Franklin Pele.

With Bulls 12-8 ahead, Myers’ yellow card in the second half appeared to alter the flow of the match, and the hosts made the most of the momentum shift by scoring two quickfire tries.

Bulls continued to fight until the death, but they couldn’t get over the line as the French outfit sealed a narrow 21-20 victory.