Bradford (12) 22
Tries: Ah Van, Lynch, Elima 2
Goals: Ah Van 3
Leeds (10) 30
Tries: McShane, Jones-Buchanan, Senior, Hall, Buderus
Goals: Sinfield 5

Captain Kevin Sinfield took his tally to 42 successful kicks this season

Leeds twice had to come from behind at Odsal as they kept up their winning record against Bradford Bulls.

But it was not until the 79th minute that they clinched victory with a try from Aussie hooker Danny Buderus.

After trailing 10-0 early on, Leeds bounced back to lead with tries from Paul McShane and Jamie Jones-Buchanan.

Bradford went back in front, but Keith Senior and Ryan Hall crossed, skipper Kevin Sinfield's five goals sealing it, watched by a near 20,000 crowd.

To complete a happy evening for Leeds, there is a chance that Danny McGuire and Jamie Peacock both might now return against Crusaders on Easter Monday after knee injuries that have kept them sidelined since late last season.

Odsal has been a happy hunting ground in recent seasons for Leeds, who have now lost just once there in nine visits.

But the Rhinos were made to work just as hard for a timely first win in four matches as when they also beat the Bulls at the Millennium Stadium in this season's first meeting back in February.

In coach Brian McDermott's first game in charge for Leeds against his old club, the Rhinos came back from the dead to run in three Magic Weekend tries in the final quarter before a late penalty try earned a 32-28 victory.

This time, Leeds were left reeling by two early Bradford tries.

The Bulls had been flattened 56-16 just six days earlier by Salford.

But Patrick Ah Van, who kicked the second of the two conversion attempts, and skipper Andy Lynch both crossed as the home side built a 10-0 lead inside 11 minutes.

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to work out it was a big improvement Leeds coach Brian McDermott

Leeds, themselves crushed 38-6 at home by Huddersfield a week ago, then pegged Bradford back with tries from McShane (the first of them improved by Sinfield) and Jones-Buchanan.

Ah Van's late first-half penalty kicked the Bulls into a 12-10 half-time lead, supplemented by the first of Olivier Elima's two tries seven minutes into the second half.

But Leeds turned it round again when Senior and Hall both scored in the space of three minutes.

For Senior, played in by a slick exchange between Rob Burrow and Brent Webb, although only his second try of the season, it was the 16th of the veteran centre's career against Bradford.

Then prolific winger Hall, on his 100th appearance, ran in his 83rd try.

With Sinfield kicking two superb conversions from close to the left touchline, Leeds now led 22-16.

Elima then bulldozed over again, Ah Van kicking the goal to tie it up again at 22-22 with 18 minutes left.

But, within five minutes, Sinfield's penalty had put Leeds back in front. And, with the Bulls stretched looking for a response, the artful Buderus went under the posts to seal a third successive defeat.

Bradford Bulls coach Mick Potter:

"I thought we did some really good things tonight and there were some positives for us. But there are things we need to do better.

"I am pleased with the response and, if we take that intensity into every game, we'll compete.

"But we need to do it for the full 80 minutes. They built some pressure on us in the second half."

Leeds coach Brian McDermott:

"It's very pleasing considering where we've been for the last few weeks. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to work out it was a big improvement.

"It was all about performance tonight. I would have been content, even if Bradford had snatched it in the last minute, because there was something for us to build on.

"The game was in the balance and you've got to give Bradford a lot of credit. Both teams weren't great last week but they certainly meant business tonight."

Bradford: Royston; Raynor, Platt, Walker, Ah Van; Kearney, Herbert; Lynch, L'Estrange, Kopczak, Elima, Whitehead, Donaldson.

Replacements: Diskin, Hargreaves, Olbison, Burgess.

Leeds: Webb; Watkins, Delaney, Senior, Hall; Sinfield, Burrow; Burgess, Buderus, Leuluai, Jones-Buchanan, Clarkson, Ablett.

Replacements: Cross, Kirke, Hauraki, McShane.

Attendance: 19,275.

Referee: Thierry Alibert (Toulouse).

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