BULLS 22 FEATHERSTONE 30

IT WAS another case of so near yet so far for the Bulls after a mudbath thriller against Featherstone.

Just as they had done against London, Bradford proved a match for one of the Championship’s favourites.

But again they finished with nothing to show for a bruising effort against a Featherstone side that John Kear expects to be a “force to be reckoned with” this year.

Fev also received the Peter Fox Memorial Trophy, in honour of the legendary coach of both clubs just ahead of the anniversary of his death a year ago.

He would have enjoyed this old-fashioned tussle just as much as a near full-house boosted by a large contingent of away fans.

Landlords Dewsbury had done their bit as groundsman Paul Moore’s hard work ensured that the pitch was deemed playable despite the awful weather over the first half of the weekend.

A cursory morning inspection – as conditions improved – meant it did not follow the way of the previous Sunday’s abortive trip to York.

But there was some pre-match drama when the pitch had to be re-marked because it did not pass safety regulations.

The gap between the dead-ball line and the advertising fencing was not the permitted three metres in the eyes of the match commissioner – something they have been told to clamp down on this year.

Kear and opposite number James Webster both had to agree to narrowing the dimensions further to allow the action to go ahead.

Not surprisingly, Kear had stuck with the same 17 who ran London Broncos so close in the curtain-raiser a fortnight earlier.

The Bootham Crescent postponement meant George Flanagan had to sit out one more week before his lengthy ban was up.

There was no Dane Chisholm in the Featherstone ranks. The maverick Australian, who had masterminded the 42-4 thrashing of his former club with a hat-trick in their last meeting in May, was beginning a three-match ban for a dangerous high tackle in pre-season against Leeds.

Chisholm was looking on from an executive box as former Batley half-back Louis Jouffret made his debut as cover. Fev’s ranks also included forward Tom Holroyd, who had been linked with the Bulls during the off-season, on dual-reg from Leeds.

The pitch was soon cutting up in the early exchanges, a couple of bouncing kicks dying in the mud.

James Harrison coughed up a scoring chance for Fev in a bruising start, littered with penalties on both sides. Sam Hallas fumed at the touch judge after Adam Rooks was dumped painfully on his back.

A menacing charge from full back Craig Hall set up the opening score for Featherstone on 14 minutes, taking the ball deep into Bulls territory.

The visitors kept it alive and went for it on the last tackle, Leeds loanee Callum McLelland holding off the joint attentions of Hallas and Brandon Pickersgill to plough over.

Rowan Milnes tried a bit of ingenuity on the unpredictable surface. He kicked early to catch out Featherstone but the experienced Brett Ferres, who began his long career at Odsal, smothered the loose ball under his posts as Pickersgill charged in.

The power of the wind was clear as an attempted Featherstone 40/20 sailed right through the in-goal.

Steve Crossley was held up on his back as Hallas looked to send him over but tempers were flaring. As the teams converged for a second time, Fev winger Ben Blackmore was yellow-carded for a scuffle.

With the temporary man advantage, Joe Brown took the Bulls into scoring range. But they bombed the chance as Ross Oakes’s pass for Matty Dawson-Jones on the wing flew straight out of play under pressure from Conor Carey.

Pickersgill’s performance against London earned a rave review from Kear and he deserved more plaudits with a fleet-footed effort to wriggle his way out from behind the posts after a pinning kick from Jouffret.

But the Bulls could not stop a superb second Featherstone try in the 34th minute.

Again it came from the last tackle, McLelland somehow keeping the ball alive on the floor and Hall’s grubber kick nutmegging the cover for Harrison to dive in for the decisive touch.

The Bulls were facing the same scenario they had against London – and responded just as strongly.

Rooks was pulled back chasing a kick towards the Fev line and Jack Bussey was sin-binned for the professional foul.

Once again, the Bulls were up against 12 men and made it count this time. Thomas Doyle, one of a triple change made by Kear after Featherstone’s second try, got in on the act straight away as he burrowed under the posts from dummy half.

Milnes, on kicking duty ahead of Jordan Lilley, added the extras to halve the deficit.

They had a chance of a second score just before the hooter but Greg Johnson could not come down with Lilley’s flighted kick to the corner.

The Bulls still had the extra man when play resumed – and had levelled the scores by the time Bussey could get back.

He was waiting impatiently on the sideline as Ebon Scurr was stopped inches short. But the Bulls were not to be denied as Milnes dinked a low kick through for half-back partner Lilley to ground.

As the Bulls built up a head of steam, Pickersgill spilled the ball as he broke the Fev line. He made amends, though, with a try-saving smother on Greg Worthington who could not ground a big chance.

But Featherstone restored the lead when Bussey made up for his time out by taking a short pass in under the posts.

And they soon earned some more breathing space when Hall’s towering kick causes mass confusion in the Bulls defence.

They allowed the ball to bounce fatally and unsuccessfully tried to scramble it behind. But Hall, following in his kick, was able to put it down at the back of the in-goal.

The Bulls now trailed by two tries again midway through the half. But they got back off the floor to land a crucial blow in response.

Milnes forced a goalline drop-out and Hall’s short kick was gobbled up on the 10 metre line by Brad Gallagher. The Bulls worked play to their left edge where Pickersgill spun in for their third score.

Milnes, kicking into the swirling wind, could not land the angled conversion as the gap stayed at eight.

But the Bulls had their tails up and closed it right up with a fourth try, Dawson-Jones flinging himself into the corner from Pickersgill’s pass. Milnes had an even tougher kick to make but fired it over from the touchline.

It was boiling up for a grandstand finish – only for Featherstone to cross for a fifth time. Ben Blackmore scored in the corner and Hall’s booming touchline goal made it a two-score game again and put it beyond the Bulls’ reach.