Bradford (22) 36
Tries: Jeffries, Sykes 2, Platt, Ah Van, Kearney Goals: Ah Van 4, Sykes 2
Huddersfield (0) 0
Tries: Anderson Goals: Holdsworth 2

Sykes kicked four points for Bradford as well as going over twice

Paul Sykes scored two tries as Bradford Bulls moved to within three points of the Super League play-off places by beating Huddersfield.

Ben Jeffries, Sykes' brace and a Michael Platt effort put the hosts in control at the break.

Patrick Ah Van, who kicked four goals, then went over before Eorl Crabtree was sin-binned for persistent offending.

Brett Kearney then added a sixth try as the Giants suffered their fourth defeat in six matches.

Even the return of scrum-half Danny Brough, following a five-game absence with an ankle injury, could not inspire the visitors as they lost further ground on leaders Wigan.

The Bulls were impressive both in defence and offence but were also helped by several Huddersfield errors.

David Hodgson's knock-on deep inside his own half gave Bradford possession and the visitors were penalised twice more before Bryn Hargreaves' short pass allowed Jeffries to break through and score.

Sykes then crashed over and, after Larne Patrick wasted a chance for the Giants by dropping the ball inches short of the try line, he added a second by squirming free of the Huddersfield defence.

The hosts continued to stun the Giants and were 22-0 up by half-time after Platt charged down Scott Grix's kick before charging over the line.

The Giants thought they had scored early in the second half, but Joe Wardle's effort was ruled out for obstruction in the build-up.

And the Bulls soon raced further ahead with an Ah Van penalty, his fourth successful kick of the afternoon, before Sykes added a further two points following another Huddersfield error.

Ah Van then touched down for Bradford's fifth try, with Sykes adding the extras, before Kearney dashed over in the left corner late on.

Huddersfield stand-off Kevin Brown added to Giants' disappointing afternoon as he suffered a recurrence of a hamstring injury, which could see him out of action for several weeks.

Bradford coach Mick Potter:

"I think the players executed a perfect gameplan, they went out there with a determination to prove to some people that they could play.

"They handled the conditions well, we boxed them down the field and got the rewards.

"I thought we were aggressive with our defence, we found that right balance between over-playing and not playing with our hearts.

"Our kicking game was good. I thought our halves were very, very good.

"They were on the back foot all the time and it was good to see that it was the opposition team as opposed to us."

Huddersfield coach Nathan Brown:

"The opposition played terrific weather football.

"The tactics were great, they kicked the ball well and put us under a lot of pressure - particularly in that first half.

"The game is based on building pressure and field position and the last two weeks, we've clearly lost those battles.

"The most disappointing thing is our resolve is just not quite as good as it has been earlier in the year and it's not at the level that we've set ourselves over the past couple of years, that's for sure.

"We've had a couple of really good weeks of training and I thought, because we had all our key players back in their key positions, I thought we'd do a little better than we did but it wasn't to be."

Bradford: Kearney, Ah Van, Sykes, Platt, Raynor, Jeffries, Herbert, Lynch, Diskin, Hargreaves, Elima, Whitehead, Kopczak.
Replacements: Scruton, Donaldson, Addy, Burgess.

Huddersfield: Grix, McGillvary, Wardle, Cudjoe, Hodgson, Brown, Brough, Crabtree, Robinson, Griffin, Gilmour, Lawrence, O'Donnell..
Replacements: Patrick, Ferguson, Kirmond, Mason.

Sin Bin: Crabtree (63).

Referee: James Child (Dewsbury).

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