Bulls savage sorry Sox

Naylor goes over despite Bloem's attentions

Halifax 18-68 Bradford

Bradford showed no sign of loosening their grip on the Silk Cut Challenge Cup with a comprehensive fifth round victory over Halifax.

The Bulls took the game at The Shay by the scruff of the neck almost straight away, running in five tries in the first half alone.

They eventually went over 11 times in total, and successfully kicked for the extra two points every time.

Halifax had few answers to Bradford's power and precision, but only lost heart towards the end of a one-sided West Yorkshire derby.

Their frustration boiled over in the second half as the bad blood between the local Super League rivals erupted in a series of clashes.

But referee Russell Smith kept things under control, sin-binning Andy Hobson for "persistent offending" in the 62nd minute.

A Scott Naylor try one minute later put the Bulls 50-12 ahead, and there was no way back for the Sox.

Gavin Clinch grabbed a third for Halifax in the 68th minute, but Tevita Vaikona and Michael Withers added further scores for the Bulls to complete the rout.

Exploited

After an initial spell of Blue Sox pressure, Bradford dominated the first period, with James Lowes opening the scoring in the fifth minute.

He picked up the ball after a powerful drive from Joe Vagana and exploited a gap left by Sox full-back Daryl Cardiss to go over.

Henry Paul kicked for 6-0, and his brother Robbie made it 10-0 on 10 minutes, selling the Halifax defence two dummies and stepping inside to score.

Unstoppable: Paul Anderson ploughs through

A Henry Paul penalty made it 14-0 after Brian McDermott was held down, and the Kiwi supplied the pass for Mike Forshaw to run in on 22 minutes.

Three minutes later, Paul Anderson ploughed through the shell-shocked Sox defence and supplied an inside pass to Daniel Gartner to put the new signing in for his first Bulls try.

Blue Sox player-coach Gary Mercer gave Halifax hope on the half-hour when he took a flat pass from Clinch and ran in from 10 yards.

But another new signing, Lee Gilmour, shrugged off two half-tackles to score Bradford's fifth try, taking a pass from Michael Withers after he had beaten three men.

Big gap

Halifax, 32-6 down at half-time, showed more spirit in the second period, but it was still largely one-way traffic as the Bulls hit them with another six tries.

Scott Naylor, set up by Forshaw, capitalised on a gaping hole in the Sox ranks to run 40 yards and score two minutes after play resumed.

Andrew Dunemann battled through to grab a second for Halifax just inside the post 11 minutes later for 12-38, but the game then descended into acrimony.

Bradford's Stuart Spruce and Jamie Thackray of the Sox traded blows just before Hobson was sent off.

Naylor added to Halifax's woes in the 63rd minute with Bradford's seventh try, and Spruce fell on to Lowes' kick into the danger zone for the eighth three minutes later.

Tevita Vaikona then knocked the stuffing out of the Sox with a 60-yard run for the ninth on 71 minutes after Shayne McMenemy lost possession.

He added a tenth five minutes later, and Withers made it 66 points for the Bradford two minutes from time.

Flawless kicking from Henry Paul and his late replacement Paul Deacon added extra sheen to an awesome Bulls performance.

---

Halifax: Cardiss, Bloem, Gibson, Hughes, Greenwood, Dunemann,Clinch, Hobson, Lawless, Gannon, Mercer, McMenemy, Moana. Replacements: Davidson, Thackray, Penkywicz, Goldspink.

Bradford: Spruce, Vaikona, Naylor, Withers, Gilmour, H Paul, R Paul, Vagana, Lowes, McDermott, Gartner, Peacock, Forshaw. Replacements: Deacon, Anderson, Rigon, Fielden.

Referee: Russell Smith (Castleford)