Bulldogs edged out by Lions in blow to play-off hopes
EDGED OUT: Jake Lowndes saves under pressure from Nottingham Lions 2. Picture: George Fewster.
PLAYER-COACH Dave Williams says Bradford Bulldogs need to adopt a play-off mentality now in order to achieve their aim of making the post-season.
The Bulldogs slipped to bottom in the NIHL North Two standings for the first time in 2025-26 following a 5-3 defeat at the hands of Nottingham Lions 2 at The Pound last Sunday.
The result enabled the Lions to move above the Bulldogs and into the eighth and final play-off spot.
The Bulldogs are not in action this weekend but will return to action at leaders Sutton Sting on February 28 with two games in hand on their East Midlands rivals, who can pull further ahead if they beat visitors Kingston Sharks this Sunday.
“It was a tough one to take but you get what you deserve. We did not deserve to win that game,” admitted Williams.
“Once again against Nottingham, we got off to a good start with two early goals but we managed to let them back in it and get ahead by the first break.
“Then we were playing catch up the rest of the night, but we conceded goals through lack of concentration, poor defensive play and we just didn't have the desire to win the game.
“We’ve got four games left now and it is still in our hands to try and clinch the last playoff spot. But we’ve got to treat every game between now and the end of the regular season as if it is a play-off game.
NO WAY THROUGH: Aaron Jordan and Paul Lane put pressure on the Lions net. Picture: Colin McGregor
“Things haven’t gone the way we wanted to this season, I know that, but I still believe we have enough talent on this team to take points from our remaining games and make it through to the play-offs.”
The defeat was harder to take for the Bulldogs given the promising start they got off to against Nottingham.
Paul Lane broke the deadlock at 4.04 on the board when he forced the puck home from close-range, Aaron Jordan doing similar just over two minutes later to double the lead.
Nottingham quickly halved the deficit, though, breaking clear from their own zone through Jake Fisher who found Connor Bennett at the back post to beat Jake Lowndes low down to his left at 8.15.
Just under two minutes later, the game was all-square, the Bulldogs’ coughing up possession from behind their own net, allowing the unmarked Brodey Butlin time to back-hand past Lowndes.
Barely a minute had passed when the Lions got their noses in front for the first time, the puck breaking free in front of the hosts net where Harrison Meir had time to swivel around and pick his spot from three yards out.
HEAT OF BATTLE: BUlldogs’players watch from the home bench against the Lions. Picture: Jason Devanney/View From Up Here.
Just over six minutes of the second period had elapsed when Nottingham doubled their lead, the Bulldogs got caught trying to skate out of their zone with the puck by Charlie Davenport, who found Lowndes’ top left-hand corner from six yards out.
Hope arrived for the Bulldogs with just 18 seconds left in the second period when Jordan drove down the middle from his own zone before unleashing a fierce shot that beat James Guest low down to his right to make it a one-goal game again.
The next goal was crucial. Sadly it went against the Bulldogs, a face-off win for Nottingham allowing Fisher to find Davenport who back-handed low past Lowndes on the turn at 45.28.
The Bulldogs battled hard for a way back into the game - out-shooting the visitors 51-34 on the day - but they couldn’t find a way through, giving them four games to try and book their place in the play-offs.