Bradford Bulls 38 - Huddersfield
Giants 20

Bradford erased the pain of their humiliating defeat to St Helens by restoring their pride with a hard-fought victory away to local rivals Huddersfield by 38-20.

The Bulls crashed to the heaviest defeat in their history last week as they were hammered 66-4 by Saints at Odsal.

But they bounced back with a spirited success which answered as many questions about their determination as it did their ability.

Huddersfield pushed the Bulls hard, but Bradford?s superior class ultimately proved the difference after they had been given a nasty shock early in the second half.

Stunning the Bulls with two quickfire tries after the restart, the Giants overturned Bradford?s 16-10 interval advantage.

However, Bradford replied with four tries of their own to secure the points and maintain their unbeaten Super League record against Huddersfield.

Early pressure from the visitors culminated in Ben Harris collecting Jamie Peacock?s neat off-load to ground in the right-hand corner after just five minutes.

It was Harris? first try in Bradford colours, and the visitors soon became encamped in Huddersfield?s half.

Indeed, it took the Giants 16 minutes to mount their first serious attack on the Bradford line - but it was a move from which they scored.

Stand-off Chris Thorman played a delightful one-two with the impressive James Evans before crossing the line in the right-hand corner.

Michael De Vere failed to goal. But the Giants soon grabbed the lead when 18-year-old scrum-half Tom Hemingway found Marcus St Hilaire on the right flank, and the winger scampered over the line to finish off a fine move.

This time De Vere did convert, but the Bulls scored again four minutes later when replacement Robbie Paul timed his run to perfection to race on to Paul Deacon?s clever grubber kick and touch down.

There were calls for offside against the Kiwi by home supporters. But the video referee confirmed the try was legitimate, and Deacon?s successful conversion brought the scores level at 10-10.

Huddersfield were enjoying the majority of possession. But Karl Pryce?s lung-busting breakaway try, after Lee Radford had charged down Thorman?s kick on the Bulls? own 10-metre line, restored Bradford?s advantage before the interval.

Then, though, they were caught cold shortly after the restart.

Little more than one minute of the second period had elapsed before Hemingway broke strongly from his own 10-metre line.

The teenager carried the ball forward before delivering a perfect off-load to the supporting Stuart Donlan, who outpaced the Bradford defence to race clear and score.

De Vere again missed the conversion. But five minutes later his team registered another well-worked try which saw replacement Paul White finish off Thorman?s offload from close range.

Predictably, Bradford came back strongly - and a spell of concerted pressure resulted in Rob Parker taking Karl Pratt?s pass and grounding a try which Deacon converted to restore the Bulls? advantage at 22-20.

Paul rounded off an excellent move three minutes later to claim his second try, before Radford finished off another to give his side further breathing space.

A close-range effort from Stuart Reardon put the icing on the cake for Bradford, while Deacon converted five of his side?s seven tries.

Huddersfield (10) 20. Tries: Thorman, St Hilaire, Donlan, Smith. Goals: De Vere 2.

Bradford (16) 38. Tries: B. Harris, Paul 2, K. Pryce, Parker, Radford, Reardon. Goals: Deacon 5.

Huddersfield: Reilly, St Hilaire, Evans, De Vere, Donlan, Thorman, Hemingway, Crabtree, Drew, Gannon, Jones, Smith, Roarty.

Replacements: Nero, White, Jackson, McDonald.

Bradford: Withers, Reardon, B. Harris, Langley, K. Pryce, I. Harris, Deacon, Vagana, Pratt, Fielden, Peacock, Meyers, Radford.

Replacements: Paul, Lynch, Cook, Parker.

Referee: Ashley Klein (London)

Att: 6,022

Thanks to www.superleague.co.uk for another great article.