Bradford 18 Hull 12: Vainikolo strikes twice to continue Hull's Odsal suffering

Hull put the horror of their last two trips to Bradford behind them with a rousing display that was still not quite good enough to prevent the champions going to the top of the Super League table.

In their last two visits to Odsal, Hull have conceded 120 points so it was with some trepidation that they will have seen the name of Lesley Vainikolo on the team sheet after his phenomenal 10 tries in those two games. The ball did not even need to get as far as Vainikolo for the Bulls' first try after 65 seconds, Karl Pryce forcing his way over after Jamie Thackray had lost the ball.

Hull then managed to cut off Vainikolo's supply lines, with the result that the winger had to come infield to try to do his damage. But Vainikolo does not need much of an invitation and when Richard Horne was penalised in the tackle, he was on the end of a move involving Iestyn Harris and Pryce to twist his way over.

Hull were still providing plenty of resistance and they got on the scoreboard immediately before half-time when Sid Domic dived over from Horne's kick. Four minutes after the interval, Vainikolo eased the Bulls ahead again from Harris's wonderful long pass.

Again Hull responded, Brough, Horne and Paul Cooke doing superbly to keep an attack alive, and Kirk Dixon pouncing when Vainikolo fumbled. Brough's second conversion put them two points behind, and it was Hull applying pressure.

Bradford withstood that and struck back 10 minutes from time, Harris slipping the pass for Marcus St Hilaire to score. Shaun Briscoe had a couple of chances to snatch a draw for Hull, but lost the ball on both occasions to leave a vastly improved effort unrewarded.

"I thought we put ourselves in a position to win," the Hull coach John Kear said. "We've shown we can come here and compete."

* In last night's other Super League match Wigan were beaten 24-12 by Warrington at the JJB Stadium.

Bradford: St Hilaire; Bai, B Harris, Pryce, Vainikolo; I Harris, Deacon; Fielden, Henderson, Lynch, McKenna, Hape, Langley. Substitutes used: Vagana, Cook, Gene, Ferres.

Hull: Briscoe; Tony, Domic, Yeaman, Dixon; Cooke, Horne; Thackray, Brough, King, Radford, Hill, Whiting. Substitutes used: Carvell, Wheeldon, Chester, Lupton.

Referee: K Kirkpatrick (Warrington).