Troubled Bradford Bulls show their battling spirit but succumb to Hull

Crisis-club Bradford Bulls ended their difficult week with a closely-fought defeat against Hull at the KC Stadium.

The Bulls battled gamely, but Tom Briscoe’s try with 10 minutes left proved decisive, in a match that could be the four-times Super League champions’ last before plungin into administration.

Bradford’s future is in grave doubt after it emerged during the week that they need to raise £500,000 by next Friday to keep the tax man from their door.

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A memorable John Bateman try had levelled the scores at 18-18 with 14 minutes left, but Hull stole ahead through Briscoe before Danny Tickle landed a late penalty.

It meant the Black and Whites joined Warrington at the top of the table with a fifth successive win, built on Richard Horne’s double to overcome an otherwise weak forward display.

Hull were without forward duo Mark O’Meley and Sam Moa leaving coach Peter Gentle to hand debuts to duo Liam Kent and Chris Green off the bench.

Their inexperience was felt in the opening period as they relied on the razor-sharp finishing of Horne and Willie Manu to take a 12-6 interval lead.

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A Hull mistake gifted Bradford their first score when Jarrod Sammut clasped onto an ill-advised pass at close quarters and, while he was trip-tackled, the Bulls recycled the ball to see Keith Lulia over.

Manu restored Hull’s six-point advantage on 20 minutes, but for the remainder of the half Hull were marooned in their own half.

Five minutes after the interval, after Hull gave away two penalties to advance them down the field, Briscoe dropped a routine kick into the in-goal area and Karl Pryce fell on the loose ball.

The home side resorted to kicking for territory, a tactic aided when Brett Kearney needlessly gathered a ball drifting out of the in-goal before turning into a crunching tackle by Manu.

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With some field position to finally work with, Hull found a third try to edge them back ahead, Danny Houghton making the crucial yards with a scurrying run before Horne barged over for his second.

Tickle landed his third conversion to make it 18-12 with 22 minutes left.

Bradford had shown little creativity until they produced a try to remember which levelled the scores with 14 minutes left.

The move began with a series of tired-looking offloads in the centre of the park which, somehow, eventually opened up the defence before Lulia raced 30 yards and drew two defenders before a clever pass sent Bateman over.

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Just four minutes later Hull regained their lead, with Briscoe finishing a slick move in the corner.

While Tickle missed the kick, he landed a late penalty to ensure a fifth successive win.

Hull FC: Horne, Sharp, Martin, Turner, T. Briscoe, Ellis, Seymour, O’Carroll, Houghton, Lynch, Manu, Tickle, Aspinwall. Substitutes: Whiting, Kent, Green, Bowden.

Bradford Bulls: Kearney, Pryce, Purtell, Lulia, Crookes, Addy, Sammut, Hargreaves, Diskin, Manuokafoa, Bateman, Whitehead, Langley. Substitutes: L’Estrange, Elima, Burgess, Joseph.

Referee: Thierry Alibert (France).