Match Details
Match Date	10th Apr, 2011
Opponent	St George Illawarra
Result	Loss 6-25
Coach	Kevin Moore
Captain	Andrew Ryan
Venue	Sydney Cricket Ground
Crowd	31,122
Referee	Shayne Hayne Gerard Sutton

The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs have lost their second match in succession, going down to a clinical St George-Illawarra outfit by 25 points to six in atrocious conditions at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

In front of a solid crowd of 31,122, the Bulldogs completed at around 60% to give the Dragons possession and field position in ways that would ultimately cost them dearly.

In the finish the Dragons were ruthlessly effective, making the most of each opportunity that came their way including a match turning 80 metre intercept try to Darius Boyd which, had Boyd not snatched the pass, would have seen the Bulldogs score under the posts.

Instead of being down 15-12, the Bulldogs trained 21-6 and the match was out of their reach.

With rain falling for the first time just before kick-off, both teams handled the pressure in the opening 20 minutes, showing the kind of accuracy that would become all too scarce later on in the encounter.

The Dragons broke the tension after absorbing opening quarter, capitalising on good field position to send Matt Cooper in for the first try of the match. Jamie Soward's sideline conversion put the Premiers out to a 6-nil lead.

The Dogs forced a dropped ball almost from the kick off but with the rain getting heavier they couldn't capitalise, coming up with one of their own four plays later just when they seemed set to score.

A penalty against the Bulldogs working it out from their own line allowed Soward to extend the Dragons lead to eight points, while a 40th minute field goal closed out the half with the home side leading 9-nil.

A series of dropped balls after the resumption would cost the Bulldogs dearly, with Cooper capitalising to score his second try just four minutes into the second half.

Again Soward proved deadly accurate from the sideline, extending the Dragons lead to 15-nil.

The Bulldogs got themselves on the scoreboard approaching the hour mark on the back of a spear tackle by Dean Young on Trent Hodkinson.

With the penalty, field position, and Young on report, the Dogs attacked and got results when Ben Barba and Corey Payne dived on a grubber into the in goal.

The touch-down was referred to video referee Paul Simpkins, who saw no issue with awarding the try to Barba, reducing the deficit at 15-6.

Looking to force their way back into the contest the Bulldogs broke the line again on the following set of six, with Kris Keating doing some great work to position Andrew Ryan on his inside.

However instead of going in under the posts, Ryan and Keating could only watch in horror as Boyd swooped, sprinting 80 metres to score and snuff out all hope of a Bulldogs comeback.

Soward's conversion meant the Bulldogs found themselves training by 15 points again, on the wrong end of a 21-6 scoreline.

The Dragons finished off the rout in the 76th minute, when Mark Gasnier did well to reach out and plant the ball on the line for a final score of 25-6.

The Bulldogs next match is just five days away, back at ANZ Stadium for a reciprocal rights away fixture against the Parramatta Eels, who this afternoon went down 38-nil to the Storm at AAMI Park.

Source: AAP

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