LATE PENALTY HANDS BRADFORD DEFEAT

A last-minute Jack Owens penalty handed Bradford Bulls a late 10-9 defeat at the DCBL Stadium this afternoon.

An error-plagued first half saw a sole score trouble the scoring ledger – Owens on hand to pounce on a clever Danny Craven kick.

Bradford improved in the second half and half-back pairing Danny Brough and Jordan Lilley linked up – the latter diving over under the posts.

Both sides traded penalties before Brough’s drop-goal looked to have won Bradford the game.

But on the following set, Bradford conceded a penalty in possession on halfway – Owens obliged to snatch a late win. 

Bradford boss John Kear gave debuts to Eldon Myers and Elliot Kear – the latter featuring at full-back. 

The visitors started the stronger but failed to capitalise on their territorial advantage and Widnes then enjoyed a spell of pressure on the Bradford line. 

Owens’ diving effort was all she wrote in terms of first-half scoring – with errors being racked up by both sides. 

The Bulls raced out of the starting blocks and were camped of the Widnes line for the first 10 minutes after the restart and that pressure finally told when the two half-backs linked up superbly for Lilley to crown his new deal in style. 

His right boot then kicked Bradford into the lead soon after, following a high shot on Anthony Walker. 

An Owens’ penalty levelled the scores but the Bulls – following three blocked attempts – finally stole a late lead with Brough’s drop goal. 

But there was a late twist, and with Bradford being penalised for an apparent elbow – Owens kept his nerve for late heartbreak. 

WIDNES VIKINGS: Jack Owens, Deon Cross, Lloyd Roby, Steve Tyrer, Oliver Brookes, Danny Craven, Joe Lyons, Kenny Baker, Lewis Hulme, Owen Farnworth, Shane Grady, Adam Lawton, Matty Smith. INTERCHANGES: Will Tilleke, Paul Clough, Connor Aspey, Joe Edge. 

TRIES: Owens

GOALS: Owens 2/2 

BRADFORD BULLS: Elliot Kear, Joe Brown, Rhys Evans, Ross Oakes, David Foggin-Johnston, Danny Brough, Jordan Lilley, Ben Evans, Thomas Doyle, Steve Crossley, Aaron Murphy, Brad England, Sam Hallas. INTERCHANGES: Dan Fleming, George Flanagan, Eldon Myers, Anthony Walker. 

TRIES: Lilley

GOALS: Lilley 2/2

DROP GOALS: Brough 1/1

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