Betfred Super League
Huddersfield Giants (6) 22
Tries: Patolo, Wrench, Jagger, Flanagan Goals: Flanagan 3
Hull FC (10) 16
Tries: Batchelor, Litten 2 Goals: Hardaker 2
Huddersfield Giants came from behind to beat Hull FC and claim only their fourth Super League win of the season.
Advertisement
They scored the opening try through Chris Patolo but tries from Joe Batchelor and Davy Litten put Hull 10-6 up at half-time.
Connor Wrench scored Huddersfield’s second try shortly after the break but Litten’s second restored Hull’s lead.
The home side levelled the game through Lewis Jagger before George Flanagan went over for the match-winning score.
Huddersfield achieved a second successive victory after breaking a 12-match losing streak at York last weekend and while they stay bottom of the table, they are now just two points behind Hull, whose long losing run was extended to seven games.
Advertisement
They fell behind early as Patolo took an inside pass and had the power to find the try line.
But the visitors quickly opened their own account as Jake Arthur sent Batchelor though a hole before Litten took Ethan O’Neill’s pass to put the visitors in front.
Shortly into the second half, Huddersfield took the lead as a kick through was hacked on and grounded by Wrench.
But Hull quickly found a third try as O’Neill made a break and found Litten, who had the pace to find the try line and Zak Hardaker’s second goal made it 16-12.
Giants levelled as Flanagan sent Wrench away and he set up Jagger to dive in at the right corner
Advertisement
And the hosts quickly took the lead when a Hull high tackle gave Huddersfield field position and Tui Lolohea’s pass put Flanagan in.
Batchelor thought he had scored for Hull in the penultimate minute, but the video referee ruled the visitors offside in the build-up and that proved to be their last chance.
Giants had ‘belief’ to ‘find a way’ – reaction
Huddersfield head coach Jim Lenihan told BBC Radio Leeds:
“It was good to win a game when we didn’t play good. We started well, got to midway through the first half, the game got a bit messy and in the back end of the first half we struggled defensively.
Advertisement
“Half-time came at a good time for us to address it. In the second half, we had a little bit more control and the nice part was we had a little bit of belief to fight through and find a way at the end.
“We’re hardly a team flying, but we’re certainly a team that’s turned a corner a little bit. We’re competing harder and playing the style of football that we want to keep improving on.”
Huddersfield: Flanagan; Zenon, Wrench, Gagai, Jagger; Lolohea, Rush; Patolo, Woolford, Rogers, Hewitt, Dunford, Rushton.
Interchanges: Billington, Greenwood, Cozza, Geyer.
Hull FC: Moy; Barron, Hardaker, Litten, Briscoe; Arthur, Sezer; Salabio, Bourouh, Hill, Batchelor, O’Neill, Bell.
Interchanges: Aydin, Clark, Cust, Wood.
Referee: James Vella
Read the full article here