Bulldogs young pups have today got back on the winners list with a 31-18 victory over the Dragons at ANZ Stadium.
It was five tries to three with Brad Keighran’s radar on with the five-eighth kicking five from five with the boot.
The match was played from end to end throughout the early exchanges with neither side able to break the line and no early penalties to gain some much needed possession within the attacking zone.
It was however, Dragons who made a break through the centre in the 17th minute of play which ended with prop forward Jack Kavanagh crashing over. Centre Topiese Taufa had the kicking duties and converted to give the visitors a 6-nil lead.
Just four minutes scores were levelled up after back rower charged down a Adam Clune kick and managed to regather before running 40m untouched to score. Brad Keighran converted it up with the scoreboard reading 6-all.
With the 30 minute mark ticking over the Dragons broke the deadlock and got themselves back into the lead through interchange forward Abraham Atallah. A shift to the right put them into space and a couple of tackles later Atallah crossed with the defence reeling. Taufa couldn’t convert with the score now 10-6.
The Dragons went to the break with a four point lead with neither side able to add any further points in the first half.
A penalty goal to start the second half to the Dragons extended the lead out to a converted try but that’s where it finished for the Dragons with the young pups running in four second half tries to leave ANZ Stadium as convincing winners.
Tries to Darcy Maroske (41), winger Reimis Smith (60), interchange hooker Alex Sorge (64) and Marcelo Montoya (67) all registered four-pointers and with a number of conversions from Keighran, the scoreboard read 30-12 after 70 minutes.
Halfback Guy Hamilton converted a field goal attempt to take the lead out to 19 points and confirm victory before Dragons winger Thomas Carr grabbed a consolation try with just a couple of minutes left on the clock, which was converted by Ryan James.
After a late disappointing loss to the Raiders a fortnight ago, the side were happy to get back on the winners list, 31-18.
BULLDOGS 31 (Pondekas, Maroske, Sorge, Smith, Montoya Tries; Keighran 5 Goals; Hamilton 1 Field Goal)
Def.
DRAGONS 18 (Kavanagh, Attallah, Carr Tries; Taufa 1 Goal, James 2 Goals)
At: ANZ Stadium
