Bulls leave it late

Bradford Bulls 28

The Bulls turned what should have been a comfortable victory into a cliff-hanger with a near-calamitous second-half performance at the Halliwell Jones.

Paul Deacon's last-second drop goal eventually sealed a vital victory after the Bulls blew a 16-point lead and found themselves behind heading into the final ten minutes.

A spectacular Iestyn Harris solo effort and Deacon's first drop goal looked to have got the Bulls out of jail, but Wolves stand off Lee Briers struck back, levelling the match with a 79th-minute field goal of his own.

With just 45 seconds remaining, the Bulls claimed a short kick-off and thundered into the Wolves' 20 with three lightning breaks, allowing Deacon to evade a host of desperate defenders and drill the match-winner from 20 metres out.

The final hooter sounded before a restart was possible, keeping the Bulls' prospects of a second-place finish intact.

Hull's victory at Salford meant there was no room for error - but the errors came thick and fast anyway from a careless Bradford outfit.

They made the worst possible start, with Stuart Reardon dropping a kick cold and Warrington punishing the error with a third-minute try. Hooker Jon Clarke and Briers combined to send second-rower Ian Sibbit through a gaping hole. Briers nailed the conversion despite the blustery conditions.

The Wolves should have gone further ahead but Briers missed a simple penalty and then turned down an even easier shot at goal in favour of a quick tap.

The Bulls' defence held and moments later they made Warrington pay for turning down gift points.

The first time they went inside the Wolves' 20 the Bulls scored with ominous ease, Deacon sending Jamie Langley striding through the porous Wolves line.

Deacon then drilled the conversion and three minutes later the Wolves went to sleep, allowing his innocuous-looking kick to roll into the in-goal. Lesely Vainikolo was the first to react, charging in from his wing to slip between two Warrington players and touch down.

Deacon's conversion attempt from a handy position rebounded away off the upright.

But the try was schoolboy stuff from the Wolves and, when a third try followed within the space of five minutes, it looked for all the world as if they had clocked off early for the season and would spend the rest of the match pondering over which Spanish island to spend their winter holiday at.

The Bulls' left-sided Kiwi trio - Logan Swann, Shontayne Hape and Vainikolo - exposed an overlap down the flank, with Vainikolo making good ground before off-loading to Hape, who finished well for the try.

Deacon couldn't convert but did add a penalty, and a fourth try came six minutes before the break.

Deacon's pin-point bomb was batted back by a leaping Leon Pryce and Harris toed through to claim his first of the afternoon. This time Deacon did add the extras and at 22-6 up the Bulls were coasting.

A feeding frenzy of points looked on and the over-confident Bulls fell into the trap of trying to score on every play.

Passes went astray with alarming regularity and optimistic off-loads consistently hit the floor, handing Warrington a way back into the match.

Seven minutes into the second half the wheels really starting flying off the Bulls' cart.

Briers burst through the line and linked with Nat Wood, who kept the ball alive and, when Pryce's desperate intercept attempt only resulted in the ball being knocked into the in-goal area, full back Graham Appo was on hand to touch down for the try.

Briers couldn't convert but six minutes later the Wolves went in again, with Dean Gaskell slicing through for a simple try. Briers converted to pull the Wolves within six and the previously dormant Warrington crowd finally came to life.

The Wolves lifted the tempo and the Bulls struggled to keep them from the door.

Brent Grose made short work of Hape to score the Wolves' third inside 11 minutes but Briers' missed conversion meant the Bulls were still clinging to a two-point lead.

They held it until the 69th-minute, when the bounce of the ball looked to tip the match Warrington's way.

Nat Wood's bomb looked far too deep but the ball bounced backwards off its point and straight into the arms of the fortunate Paul Wood, who touched down for a flukish try.

Briers finally drilled a sideline conversion to give the Wolves a four-point lead inside the final ten minutes.

Just when second place looked to be slipping away, up stepped Harris with a 50-metre solo break to tie the scores. The conversion would have all but won it for the Bulls but Deacon - usually so reliable under pressure - pushed his kick to the right of the posts from a handy position.

If the miss bothered him he didn't show it, coolly nailing the two last-gasp field goals to ensure the Bulls head to Odsal on Friday night knowing victory over St Helens will secure second place - and with it a week off before a trip to Headingley and the chance to take the quick route to the Grand Final.