Rugby League: Bradford struggle to victory

Dave Hadfield
Wednesday 07 September 1994 23:02 BST
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Bradford Northern. . .16

Warrington . . . . . .10

LAST SEASON'S runners-up kept up their perfect record in this campaign, but this was not a smooth or assured performance against a side reduced to 12 men for more than half of last night's match.

What amounted to a tussle for the status of second favourites in the championship went all Bradford's way in the early stages. Warrington's defence worked hard to deny them until the 15th minute when they had no answer whatever to a classic try from Paul Newlove.

Taking David Watson's pass in his own half, Newlove showed all his pace and power to slice through and leave Deryck Fox an easy conversion.

Bradford lost their way after that, with David Fraisse and Neil Summers missing their tackles on Lee Perry to allow the Warrington full-back to set up Jonathan Davis for a converted try to level the scores.

A wonderful touchline run by Davies threatened another Warrington try until he was flattened by a high tackle from Watson. Northern's Kiwi was fortunate not to see a card of one colour or another, but Bradford's escape was not complete because from the resulting penalty the ball was worked along the line for Iestyn Harris to score in the corner.

The balance swung back in Bradford's direction before half-time when Paul Cullen was sent off for tripping and almost immediately Karl Fairbank forced his way over from short range.

Summers, kicking while Fox had a head wound patched up, put Bradford back into the lead.

Even against depleted opponents they found progress hard to make and, when Gerald Cordle butted Mark Forster, Davies missed the relatively simple penalty.

Despite being outplayed for periods by the 12 men, Bradford took control 12 minutes from time then Watson's strength took him over in the corner.

Bradford Northern: Watson; Cordle, Fraisse, Newlove, Myers; Summers, Fox; Powell (Hamer, 61), Medley (Donaghue, 32), Bourneville (Heron, 64), Dixon, Fairbank, Heron (Medley, 54).

Warrington: Florin; Forster, Bateman, Davies, Harris; Ellis, Mackey; Chambers (Bennett, 63), Thursfield, McGuire, Cullen, Sanderson (Hilton, 35), Shelford.

Referee: D Campbell (Widnes).

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