By Paul Fletcher BBC Sport at KC Stadium

Great Britain: (4) 26 Tries: Senior, Carney 2, Farrell, Johnson Goals: Farrell 3 New Zealand: (12) 24 Tries: V. Anderson, Vagana, Chan, Hape Goals: Webb 4

A superb second-half comeback by Great Britain ensured they go into next Saturday's final against Australia on the back of three successive victories.

Tries from Vinnie Anderson and Nigel Vangana sandwiched Keith Senior's try to give the Kiwis a 12-4 interval lead.

But a Brian Carney brace and one each from Andy Farrell and Paul Johnson took GB clear before Alex Chan hit back.

Shontayne Hape scored with minutes left but GB held on to finish top of the Tri-Nations group stage.

It was a far from convincing first-half showing from GB, who will need to recapture their best form if they are to win the final at Elland Road.

Brian Noble will be looking for a more secure defensive display against the Kangaroos, although his team once again demonstrated the attacking threat they possess.

GB worked the ball out wide superbly, with new half-back pairing of Iestyn Harris and Danny McGuire producing some brilliant flat passes.

But hooker Matt Diskin, making his debut, had little opportunity to stake his claim for a place in the final, limping off with a leg injury midway though the first-half.

The home team were the first to threaten the goal-line after a break from Harris took GB close to the New Zealand try line.

McGuire opted to run from the resulting move but he was held up inches from the line.

Adrian Morley burst through the Kiwi defensive line from inside his own half after 20 minutes but did not have the legs to carry the ball 70 yards and the move broke down.

Anderson got the Kiwis off to a great start in Hull

And for all GB's enterprising play some lacklustre tackling culminated in the visitors scoring first.

Paul Rauhihi should have been wrapped up but his off-load reached Ali Lauitiiti via Sean O'Loughlin's hand.

Leeds forward Lauitiiti broke through the GB defence and passed for Anderson to score under the posts.

Brent Webb added the simple conversion but a blistering move soon brought the home team back into the game.

Two brilliant long passes out to the left from Harris and McGuire stretched the Kiwi defence and Senior scored in the corner.

Andy Farrell narrowly missed the conversion but the momentum was with GB and it took some excellent goal-line defence to prevent Brian Noble's men taking the lead.

Chev Walker was held up over the line and the Kiwi rearguard was rewarded when more poor tackling allowed Vagana to extend his team's lead.

Webb's simple conversion was the final act of the half.

But New Zealand have struggled badly in the second-half during the Tri-Nations and GB scored within minutes of the re-start when Carney touched down in the corner.

The move had started when the winger broke 60 yards downfield and he was on hand to score several plays later after Martin Gleeson's sublime delayed pass had drawn two defenders.

Farrell enthused by British win

Inspirational skipper Farrell put GB ahead for the first time in the match with a superb try, wrong-footing the Kiwi defence with a superb dummy before crashing over.

Farrell, who had converted Carney's try, added another to put GB 16-12 ahead.

The hosts extended their advantage when another sweeping move out to the right after 58 minutes was finished in the corner by Carney, although Farrell missed the conversion.

Carney was involved in another break minutes later, his inside pass allowing Johnson to score as GB took control of the match.

Chan then touched down for the visitors while Rauhihi continued to make bulldozing runs down the middle.

But it was GB who had control of the match and Carney was bundled into touch just yards short of his hat-trick.

Hape's late try followed by Webb's conversion reduced the deficit to two points but they could not create another score.

Great Britain: Wellens, Carney, Gleeson, Senior, Reardon, Harris, McGuire, Fielden, Diskin, Morley, Ellis, Farrell, O'Loughlin.
Replacements: Higham, Walker, Johnson, Ward.

New Zealand: Webb, Meli, Vagana, Toopi, Hape, V. Anderson, Leuluai, J. Cayless, L. Anderson, Rauhihi, Swann, Lauitiiti, Koopu.
Replacements: Halatau, Asotasi, N. Cayless, Chan.