Match report: Giants 24 Bradford Bulls 12

Feb 6 2010 by Chris Roberts, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

This time it was the approach work of Kevin Brown that made it all possible, taking the ball to the line for Shaun Lunt to crash over from acting half-back.

At 16-0 after 23 minutes, the game already appeared to slipping out of the visitors’ grasp.

But in the final five minutes of the half they breathed life into a contest that had threatened to become one-side.

Both scores came on the back of the concessions of soft Giants’ penalties as referee Steve Ganson began to become a major source of irritation for the home contingent.

Stuart Reardon was the first to capitalise, finishing off in the left corner before Rikki Sheriffe did likewise on the opposite side minutes later.

With Paul Sykes unable to land either touchline goal, Huddersfield still had an eight-point interval advantage.

But those late tries clearly offered them hope.

That, however, was shortlived as the Giants started the second period in mean mood.

Within three minutes they have forced the Bulls to drop-out from under their own posts, and from the subsequent set Huddersfield regained complete control.

Working the ball to the line, received a yard out and slipped the pass to David Fa’alogo to crash over for a try on his Super League debut.

Hodgson again goaled and then added a penalty in the 53rd minute to make it 24-8.

That extra two points also came at a significant moment in terms of counting the clock down, with Luke Robinson having been harshly sent to the sin-bin for holding down.

The fact Bradford had been doing exactly the same for the previous eight minutes of the second half didn’t seem to matter!

But having weathered the storm of being without Robinson for 10 minutes, the hosts were then having to defend with 12 men once again in the 64th minute when Lee Gilmour was shown the yellow card for obstruction.

That clearly lifted Bradford who almost immediately reduced the deficit when Reardon squeezed in at the corner for his second, which for a third time Sykes failed to improve.

Bradford continued to apply the pressure, forcing the Giants to drop-out three times from under their posts, while Reardon was held up over the line in the 77th minute.

Within minutes of Gilmour’s return Cudjoe almost completed his hat trick.

But at that stage, it was cleared the Giants had held on for victory and an excellent opening two League points had been earned.