Bulldogs undone by Aces ahead of crunch clash with Lions

ON TARGET: Lucas Vince scored the Bulldogs’ only goal in a 6-1 defeat at Altrincham.

BRADFORD BULLDOGS’ player-coach Dave Williams admits Sunday represents his team’s biggest game of the season when they take on Nottingham Lions 2 at The Pound.

It brings together the bottom two teams in NIHL North Two, both looking to clinch a play-off spot.

With five games remaining for both teams, Bradford hold the advantage of being three points better off but head into Sunday’s showdown knowing a regulation loss would see their East Midlands rivals draw level. 

“It’s a huge game for us,” said Williams, who saw his team slip to a 6-1 defeat on the road at Altrincham Aces last Sunday. 

“If we can get the win, it puts some welcome distance between ourselves and Nottingham. 

“We need to get off to a good start, like we did the last time they came to ours, and make sure that we don’t give them a way back in. 

“That ended up costing us the win last time around and we just can’t afford to do that on Sunday.”

The Bulldogs had travelled to Altrincham confident of closing the gap on their Cheshire rivals. 

But a poor first period which saw them concede four unanswered goals left them with a mountain to climb. 

Hope arrived less than three minutes into the second period when Lucas Vince got the Bulldogs on the board but a second of the night just after the halfway mark from Oli Gotts put the Aces back in control, Billy King striking at 36.47 to make it 6-1. 

The third period was just over four minutes old when a coming together left Bulldogs’ forward Mikey Speare on the ice. 

Given the nature of the injury, it was eventually decided that the game be abandoned with Altrincham being awarded the win. 

Mikey was eventually taken to hospital but was released after a few hours. The Bulldogs would like to thank the attention and assistance of those at the scene. 

“We just never recovered from that poor start,” added Williams. “It was exactly the opposite of how we wanted to start that game. 

“We improved as the game went on but the damage had been done and we need to be much better this weekend against Nottingham, it’s a game we must win. 

“Thankfully, Mikey is alright but it was pretty worrying down on the ice when it happened. It looks promising for him to make a return to action for us soon.”