Workington Town and Bradford Bulls are all square at half time in a thunderous encounter.

Town were leading 10-2 until the final minutes of the half when the Bulls hit back with a penalty and then a converted try.

It was a tough start from both sides with no quarter given and the opening minutes saw Bradford with two sets of six Near the Town line.

It needed a good run from Joe Hambley to bring the ball away and defuse the pressure.

The home side then put themselves under unnecessary pressure when Jordan Tansey missed a high kick and Carl Forber had to push it dead for a drop-out.

Both sides had chances to break the deadlock with good runs from Elliot Miller, and Ryan Bailey but then Scott Akehurst went without the ball when he looked certain to score.

In the end it was Bradford who took the first points when Joe Keys kicked over a penalty and then Town levelled with Jordan Tansey also slotting one over.

Town suddenly upped a gear and began running hard at the Bradford line and it paid off.

They went into the lead on the 20-minute mark as Jamie Doran put up a high bomb and the Bradford defenders clashed as they went for it.

The ball was spilled and Caine Barnes was quick to react and raced over the line, leaving Tansey to add the conversion.

This buoyed the home team further and a great little angled run from Forber saw him halted just inches away.

And at the opposite end of the field, George Flanagan thought he had done enough but a scrambling Town defence held him up over the line.

Gordon Maudling was nearly through and surging to the line when he was pulled back by Dane Chisholm and when the half-back tried to slow the play down by holding on, the ref sent him to the sin bin to cool his heels.

Tansey converted the resulting penalty and Town were 10-2 to the good.

But, just as Town widened the advantage, the Bulls reined them back in as the home side were penalised for offside and Keys slotted over the kick.

And with just over a minute to go until half time, it was Ross Peltier who saved the visitors' blushes as he crashed over and Keys converted as the hooter sounded to level matter at 10-10.