Archive
Fri, 20 September 2002
Hull FC 18
Bradford Bulls 32
Bradford Bulls: Michael Withers, Tevita Vaikona, Scott Naylor, Brandon Costin, Nathan McAvoy, Robbie Paul, Paul Deacon, Joe Vagana, James Lowes, Stuart Fielden, Jamie Peacock, Daniel Gartner, Lee Radford
Subs: Lee Gilmour, Paul Anderson, Brian McDermott, Robert Parker
Tries: Tevita Vaikona, Nathan McAvoy (2), Robbie Paul, Paul Deacon, Daniel Gartner
Goals: Paul Deacon(4)
Hull FC: S Prescott, G Raynor, T Kohe-Love, G Mackay, P Parker, R Horne, T Smith, C Greenhill, L Jackson, P King , A Maher, S Logan, C Chester,
Subs: G Carvell, P Cooke, R Fletcher, C Poucher
Tries: Prescot, Horne, Fletcher
Goals: Mackay (3)
The Bulls turned around a 12-6 interval deficit with a fine second half showing to mean that St Helens have to win at London on Sunday to secure top spot going into the Play-Offs.
Steve Prescott and Richard Horne had put Hull ahead before Paul Deacon responded, but Robbie Paul and Tevita Vaikona put the Bulls in front and Nathan McAvoy made the gap 20-12.
Richard Fletcher gave Hull hope of a comeback, but Daniel Gartner and McAvoy sealed the win late on and gave Hull a visit to Leeds in the opening weekend of the Play-Offs next Friday.
The Airlie Birds were charged with responding to their 64-10 loss at St Helens last week, which saw Shaun McRae consider his future, and they got off to a great start.
They applied pressure on the Bulls line and forced errors during the opening exchanges before Steve Prescott took a fine Craig Greenhill offload to dive in under the posts for the 100th try of his career on eight minutes, Graham Mackay converting.
The Bulls struggled at times to keep hold of the ball, and they were made to pay with a breakaway try on 20 minutes, when Richard Horne collected the ricochet of a James Lowes grubber and shot 85 yards to score.
Mackay added the goal and his giant 40/20 kept the pressure on before Paul Deacon, literally, dragged the Bulls back into the game six minutes before the break.
He darted over past Adam Maher to finally break the Hull line and posted the conversion himself to reduce the arrears to 12-6.
Hull kept up the pressure after the restart, but it was Deacon who had the best scoring chance early in the half, missing with a penalty.
The Bulls managed to grab the crucial opening try, with Robbie Paul being the first to Deacon's grubber after James Lowes had been held short.
Deacon missed with the conversionn to leave them two points adrift, but they were in the lead soon afterwards, when Tevita Vaikona beat Paul Parker to another Deacon kick, the scrum half adding the extras.
Tony Smith controversially had a score ruled out when he lost the ball attempting to touch down, and the Bulls took advantage at the other end by exposing the blind side for Brandon Costin to send Nathan McAvoy in, Deacon excellently goaling from wide out.
Greenhill had a try denied by the video referee, but young second rower Richard Fletcher pulled a try back when he charged in, Mackay's goal cutting the gap back to two points at 20-18.
However, Lowes had kept some cards up his sleeve, and his clever grubber on 74 minutes enabled Danny Gartner to touch down, and Deacon restored the eight point gap with the goal.
The experienced hooker then chipped over for McAvoy to collect and cut in for his second try late on, Deacon adding a fourth goal, to secure the win.
The Boulevard is 107 years old on Saturday, and the Tour Match with New Zealand is almost certain to bring the curtain down on one of the most famous old grounds in Rugby League after Hull missed out on a home Play-Off berth for Week One.
"I'm not too despondent," said Hull director of rugby Shaun McRae. "Everybody got a good workout and we are in reasonable shape for the Play-Offs.
"I was happy with the effort and commitment. We were a bit starved of possession in the second half and Bradford are a big physical side."
Bulls coach Brian Noble, who said afterwards that he is expecting St Helens to win at London, added: "It's a very difficult place to get a result.
"I thought it was a really tough performance and a fantastic win. We talked about patience at half-time and we were patient and tough in the second half."