Dragons travel to Merseyside in search of revenge

by Tom Lamming (Student Press Officer)
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Bradford Dragons return to NBL Division One action on Saturday evening against Liverpool. Fresh off the impressive 91-83 home win over the Worthing Thunder on Saturday, January 26, the Dragons face a Liverpool team on a run of 13 straight games without a win. The hosts’ come into this weekend’s game looking for a repeat performance from when the two teams last met earlier this season.

An out of sorts Dragons team fell to a disappointing 94-82 defeat at the Dragons Den on Saturday, October 26. The visitors’ victory over the Dragons was also their last league triumph. Matchday 17 presents Coach Mellor’s team with an opportunity to avenge the defeat and pile the pressure on the teams directly above them in the playoff positions.

The Dragons (8-8) are currently on 16 points for the season, just four points behind both the Derby Trailblazers (10-7) and Loughborough Riders (10-5) who sit seventh and sixth respectively in the table. Whilst sitting just two points above the ninth-seeded Leicester Warriors (7-9) whom they hold the tie-break over.

Coach Mellor

Chris Mellor will be looking for his Dragons team to continue their momentum as they make the trip to Merseyside this weekend.

“Despite losing three quality players Liverpool have still been very competitive in the games since their departure. We’ve produced some good performances in the last few weeks so hopefully, we can keep the momentum going.

Players Perspective

Returning to face his former team, Kenny Ogunneye knows his team must be fully concentrated throughout Saturday’s clash (5.00pm Tip-Off) to bring maximum points back to West Yorkshire.

Speaking on the much-changed Liverpool line-up since the last clash in October, Kenny said: “I don’t know what they are going to be like from the start of the season till now, but we have just got to focus on our game and our defence.”


The Opponents

Without a win since the aforementioned Matchday 5 victory over the Dragons, Liverpool has had a turbulent season, to say the least. Coming into the game at the bottom of the table with a 2-16 record, a run of 13 consecutive losses leaves the hosts’ desperate to end that streak.

Liverpool lost last time out 96-84 to National Cup runners-up Reading Rockets on Sunday, January 26. Also losing narrowly the previous day on the road to fellow relegation rivals Barking Abbey 77-71.

Saturday’s game marks the first of a two-game homestand for Liverpool. Coach Herriman’s team will also face the 3-14 Westminster Warriors in a huge clash in both teams fight for survival, the following weekend on Saturday, February 15.

Last Time We Met – Saturday, October 26, 2019

Bradford Dragons 82-94 Liverpool
Trailing from wire-to-wire, a lethargic Dragons performance was duly punished by a hungry Liverpool team. A poor shooting day and a lax defensive showing compounded the Dragons to a 1-4 start to the season.

With the Dragons second best all evening long, Liverpool’s Mark Rangeley led all scorers with 23 points and David Ulph added 16 points and 14 rebounds. Dave Walsh top-scored for Dragons with 16 points.

Player Watch

Luke Gosney
Averaging 17.3 points and 9 rebounds in eight games, Gosney is averaging the 10 th highest rebounds per game in the division. The talented 20-year-old guard is shooting 50.4% from the field on 14.4 attempts per game, making 7.3 field goals per game. Gosney remarkably made his BBL debut for Cheshire Phoenix in the 2016/17 season at 17 and he has also notably, notched four double-doubles in his last five games for Liverpool this season.

Liverpool Last Five

• Sunday, January 26 – Reading Rockets 96-84 Liverpool
• Saturday, January 25 – Barking Abbey 77-71 Liverpool
• Saturday, January 18 – Liverpool 77-111 Thames Valley Cavaliers
• Saturday, January 11 – Derby Trailblazers 119-66 Liverpool
• Saturday, January 4 – Hemel Storm 95-85 Liverpool