BBC SPORT | Rugby League | Super League | Bradford win play-off thriller

St Helens 26-28 Bradford

Bradford booked their place in Super League's Grand Final after surviving a thrilling St Helens comeback at Knowsley Road.

The game was decided when Paul Sculthorpe pushed a conversion just wide with less than two minutes remaining - a kick which would have levelled the match.

Saints must now beat Wigan next Friday to give themselves another shot at Bradford in the Grand Final.

It was a great win and it's down to our mental toughness - we deserve to be in the final

Bradford coach Brian Noble

It was a pulsating match with both sides enjoying spells of domination.

Photo Gallery: Bulls edge out Saints

The Bulls controlled the first half, with Paul Deacon and James Lowes absolutely pivotal for the visitors.

However, they were aided by some shockingly inept handling from Saints, who seemed intent on making things difficult for themselves.

Saints came roaring back in the second period, with a burst of tries at the start, before failing to make the final charge which would have completed a great comeback.

The Bulls made a terrific start, building a 12-point lead after just 17 minutes.

Deacon opened the scoring after the first of a series of fine kicks from Lowes found the leading points scorer in this season's Super League.

Bradford stunned Saints in the first half

A Bulls breakaway produced the second score, with Brandon Costin touching down after an inspired move involving Deacon and Stuart Fielden.

With a terrible fumble by Chris Joynt denying St Helens an early score, they were indebted to Paul Sculthorpe, who dummied Robbie Paul before touching down on the right side of the Bulls' defence.

But the visitors pulled further ahead when Lesley Vainikolo, already through the Saints defence, got his left hand on to another Lowes kick.

Lowes provided the kick which saw Daniel Gartner go over, with the St Helens defence being caught flat every time and with seemingly no idea how to counter the ploy.

With Joynt stopped on the line by Paul with just three minutes of the first half left, Bradford managed to hold on for a 20-point lead.

All the action as it happened

But the start of the second half saw St Helens begin with a mighty push, with three tries in 14 minutes.

Firstly Keiron Cunningham burst on to a kick from Sean Long to touch down.

Then Long took a quick tap penalty to go over for a try of his own.

And Anthony Stewart went over for St Helens' fourth.

But the vital score of the match came when Mike Forshaw touched down for the Bulls after a Deacon kick was fumbled by the Saints defence.

Forshaw appeared to have dropped the ball on the line before grounding it, but the video referee awarded the score.

Stewart brought Saints back into the match with his second try, but Sculthorpe failed to kick the conversion which would have brought his side level.

St Helens: Wellens, Albert, Gleeson, Newlove, Stewart, Sculthorpe, Hoppe, Britt, Cunningham, Nickle, Joynt, Stankevitch, Shiels. Replacements: Higham, Ward, Jonkers, Long.

Bradford: Withers, McAvoy, Naylor, Costin, Vainikolo, Paul, Deacon, Vagana, Lowes, Fielden, Gartner, Peacock, Forshaw. Replacements: Pryce, Anderson, McDermott, Gilmour.

Referee: Robert Connolly (Wigan).


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