York Knights 28-20 Bradford Bulls: Match Report

York Knights are on their way to Wembley, after a 28-20 win over Bradford Bulls in the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup semi-final at the LNER Community Stadium.

In a game played with high intensity from start to finish, York scored five tries to the Bulls three, to take them through to the final for the second time in five years.

They survived a spell late in the game when Paul McShane was sin binned, but a try from Joe Brown meant they’d be returning to the national stadium to take on Featherstone Rovers in a repeat of the 2021 final.

WIth a place at Wembley at stake both sides started the game with great intensity. However, when Toa Mata’afa failed to take a Luke Hooley bomb 25 metres from the York line, Bradford took advantage in the resulting set and Hooley went in for an early try.

As the game settled, the intensity didn’t drop. Both teams looked to move the ball when in possession, and made some big, crucial tackles in defence. There were also errors at some key moments, causing attacking moves to break down.

Brenden Santi and Jordan Thompson took York close, before Toa Mata’afa crossed the line, only to have his effort ruled out. As Bradford then moved the ball swiftly upfield, Guy Armitage couldn’t take the pass from Kieran Gill for what would have been a second try.

Eventually, the Knights managed sustained pressure on the Bradford line. After forcing a drop out, a set restart and a penalty followed, and Oli Field took the chance to step through the defence after some slick passing from Ata Hingano and Mata’afa. Harris’ towering conversion put York ahead.

The lead was extended just before the break, when Kieran Buchanan went clear and slipped the ball back inside for Connor Bailey to score, and give the Knights a six point half time advantage.

The ferocity continued at the start of the second half, and the best of the early opportunities went the way of Bradford. Keiron Gill was held up over the line, before he got on the end of a kick through on the last of the set to score. Hooley missed the conversion, but the gap was back to just two points.

Minutes later, Harris spotted a gap and accelerated through to go 60 metres and stretch the lead again, before adding the conversion from in front of the posts.

Field added a further try, when the Knights somehow kept the ball alive on the last of the set. A speculative kick rebounded off Jayden Okunbor, and was picked up by Jesse Dee, to send Field scampering in.

The Knights went down to 12 men when McShane was sin binned for a professional foul, and with the one man advantage, Waqa Blake released Okunbor down the wing to score. Hooley added his first goal of the game and the Bulls were back to within eight points with 12 minutes to go.

As McShane returned to the field, the Knights again got good field position from a Bradford error. The ball was moved out wide, and Brown finished it with a dive in at the corner, to trigger celebrations from the home fans. Harris added his fourth goal of the afternoon.

The Bulls weren’t done, and Blake was on the end of a break from Hooley. Okunbor converted, but it was just a consolation as the Knights booked their place at Wembley.

York: Mata’afa, Brown, Buchanan, Field, Galeano, Hingano, Harris, Martin, McShane, Ta’ai, Dee, Bailey, Thompson

Subs: Santi, Gannon, Cook, Hudson (all used)

18th Player: Reynolds

Tries: Field (35, 62), Bailey (40), Harris (55), Brown (77)

Goals: Harris (4/5)

Sin Bin: McShane (66)

Bradford: Hooley, Okunbor, Blake, Gill, Armitage, Meadows, Lilley, Bayliss-Brow, Hallas, Lawrence, Fulton, Gee, Donaldson

Subs: Souter, Michael, Waine, Liu (all used)

18th Player: Ott

Tries: Hooley (5), Gill (52), Okunbor (67), Blake (80)

Goals: Hooley (1/3), Blake (1/1)

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