HARROGATE RUFC lost their way in the second half for the third game in a row to slide to a 29-28 defeat and crash out of the Powergen Cup at the hands of Bradford & Bingley in injury time.

Early tries for Steve Parsons and Chris Horner, Lee Cholewa adding the extras to the second touchdown, put 'Gate in control.

But Bradford full-back Jo Simpson helped himself to two tries by the interval with Tom Rhodes converting the second to put the Bees level, though they trailed by half time to two Cholewa penalties.

When Horner scored a converted try little more than a minute after the restart, it looked as if Harrogate had the game sewn up.

But one of Bradford's clutch of Tongan players Richard Tafa notched their third try. Harrogate held out until the 75th minute when Rhodes gave himself an easy conversion with a try under the posts and in injury time Barry Clarke got on the end of a 20-yard rolling maul to send Bradford through to a third round tie at Bristol.

Updated: 09:25 Monday, October 04, 2004