Orford in inspired form to rescue Bradford

Steve McNamara's Bradford side had hoped to pick up a third successive victory and build some momentum after their stuttering start to the year.

Trailing 20-0 at the break following some woeful defending in an abject first period, they looked anything but capable of challenging Michael Maguire's early table-toppers.

But Orford – the man brought to replace captain Paul Deacon following his off-season move to Wigan – cajoled his side to a famous triumph, scoring two tries and a helping hand in ex-Manly team-mate Glenn Hall going over in the 79th minute, converting to take the points in a dramatic encounter at Odsal.

It nearly did not go ahead when the floodlights went out five minutes before kick-off.

The electrician who sorted it out should be made a freeman of the city.

It was the first time in the summer era that two sides faced each other having both shut out their opponents the previous week.

Wigan had thrashed Catalans 58-0 while Bradford edged a 7-0 victory at Salford.

The way the nervous hosts started last night though you would never have guessed.

The Bulls were behind after just four minutes. After Jason Crookes had blundered trying to take a high kick, they were caught offside and then allowed Darrell Goulding an easy walk-in out wide, Amos Roberts's cut-out pass alarming in its simplicity.

The Bulls regularly wasted good field position and Crookes – playing his first Super League game since rupturing his knee cruciate last Easter – was lucky to escape when he was caught out of position and Richards romped clear down the left.

Fortunately, the Ireland star delivered an awful pass to Sam Tomkins and the chance went but the Bulls missed touch with a penalty, Orford fumbled with no one near him, Steve Menzies produced a foolish off-load which gifted possession back and they were regularly pinged by referee Ben Thaler.

Their kicking game was out of sorts with Orford, Brett Kearney and Paul Sykes all failing to cause the Wigan defence any problems.

It was from one such lame effort that Wigan – shrugging off the loss of George Carmont with a leg injury – scored their second try, Orford directing a kick straight down Roberts's throat to allow the full-back to set off on a scintillating 70-metre break.

He splintered the first line of defence all too easily, surged down the middle, swatted off Halley and, even though Stuart Reardon finally brought him down, it only delayed the inevitable.

A brilliant piece of footwork from Sam Tomkins cut open Bradford again and Harrison Hansen was on his shoulder to score, Richards converting the 25th-minute score.

Richards thought he had got their third when Sean O'Loughlin fired out a pass on the last tackle but the effort was deemed forward and Bradford escaped.

However, after Iaefeta Paleaaesina motored forward, a brilliant reverse pass from Roberts out of dummy half saw O'Loughlin find space and Sam Tomkins supported to get their third on 35 minutes.

Richards converted and then increased the misery just before the break, severely embarrassing Crookes when, with barely an inch between him and the touchline, he shrugged off the teenager and tip-toed around to stretch over the line, sending Bulls off to boos.

But they were revitalised in the second period.

Bradford hit back with their first piece of crisp rugby five minutes after the restart, Orford's perfect inside pass sending Craig Kopczak charging down the middle.

He squeezed a pass out to Wayne Godwin who found Kearney in support for the Australian's third try of the season.

Sykes improved and soon after it was Orford sneaking over, the little scrum-half spotting a rare chink in the Wigan defence close to the line to straighten up and dive in between three tacklers.

It was fitting that, as Orford celebrated, Deacon entered the fray from the Wigan bench to mark his first return to the club he served so splendidly.

The hosts absorbed plenty of pressure before – after a bullocking run from Jamie Langley – Orford dummied and shrugged off Phil Bailey to get his second.

Then came the grandstand finale as, when Roberts inexplicably spilled coming away from his own line, Heath L'Estrange darted through to set-up Hall's late try and deliver Bradford an amazing success.

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Bradford: Halley, Crookes, Sykes, Nero, Reardon, Kearney, Orford, Scruton, L'Estrange, Lynch, Langley, Whitehead, Menzies. Substitutes: Godwin, Worrincy, Kopczak, Hall.

Wigan: Roberts, Goulding, Gleeson, Carmont, Richards, S. Tomkins, Leuluai, Fielden, Riddell, Coley, Hansen, J. Tomkins, O'Loughlin. Substitutes: Bailey, Deacon, O'Carroll, Paleaaesina.

Referee: P Bentham (Warrington).