HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS 30 LEIGH LEOPARDS 18
DAVE PARKINSON, Accu Stadium, Friday

HUDDERSFIELD claimed a deserved win against play-off chasing Leigh in their penultimate game before leaving the Accu Stadium.

They were led superbly by Harry Rushton and Zac Woolford, alongside the prompting of Adam Clune and Tui Lolohea, while two opportunist tries from Cole Geyer helped to decide things after the Giants led 14-6 at the break.

Normal service seemed to be in order in the early stages as Leigh, hunting a top-four finish, opened the scoring in the ninth minute when a high kick from Adam Cook was taken by Owen Trout who had too much strength for three defenders.

Cook goaled and it remained 6-0 until the half-hour mark, despite Huddersfield thinking they had scored when Clune fed Mathieu Cozza, only for the try to be overruled for an obstruction.

The Giants were growing into the contest and Rushton, after being denied from one big push, finally got in by the posts for Flanagan to goal and draw the sides level after 30 minutes.

Huddersfield pushed within range again with five minutes remaining of the first half with only a desperate Gareth O’Brien tackle stopping Lewis Jagger, and when Niall Evalds was tackled high two plays later, Flanagan dispatched the penalty kick.

The hosts struck again before the break when the usually dependable Innes Senior spilled a high kick and Taane Milne scooped up and ran to the posts for Flanagan to goal and stretch the lead to 14-6.

Leigh applied pressure almost immediately with back-to-back possessions at the start of the new half but it was Huddersfield who struck superbly after Woolford darted out of dummy-half to send the supporting Evalds over beneath the posts. Flanagan’s fourth goal put the Giants 20-6 up.

Tanguy Zenon saw another try ruled out after 55 minutes after some excellent play from Rushton, with the Frenchman put into touch.

The Leopards replied before the hour when, following a good surge by Josh Charnley, the ball was switched back right by Cook and Umyla Hanley strode in. Cook’s conversion brought it back to 20-12.

But the Giants’ new-found belief saw them take charge with halfbacks Lolohea and Clune turning the screw in winning drop-outs, while Woolford was bossing things in the middle and secured possession.

Eventually Clune stabbed a kick through and Geyer showed the urgency to touch down, with Zenon converting.

Leigh hit back on their next possession with Robbie Mulhern going in for a Cook-improved score and it was 26-18 with little over ten minutes remaining.

An error from Mulhern handed the Giants the ball and they were too good, with Geyer sniping over from dummy-half for his second try.

Zenon missed the conversion and Clune missed a field-goal attempt in the closing stages but there was no denying an enthusiastic Giants the win.

GAMESTAR: Harry Rushton was the engine behind victory with a try, a good tackling stint and plenty of runs.

GAMEBREAKER: Cole Geyer’s second try decided matters.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: Niall Evalds supporting Zac Woolford through the middle for his try at the start of the second half.

ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Harry Rushton (Huddersfield)
2 pts Zac Woolford (Huddersfield)
1 pt Cole Geyer (Huddersfield)

MATCHFACTS

GIANTS
1 Niall Evalds
29 Tanguy Zenon
5 Sam Halsall
42 Lewis Jagger
4 Taane Milne
6 Tui Lolohea
7 Adam Clune
8 Tristan Powell
9 Zac Woolford
16 George King
20 Mathieu Cozza
12 Sam Hewitt
13 Harry Rushton
Subs (all used)
14 Fenton Rogers
21 George Flanagan
22 Jack Billington
40 Cole Geyer
18th man (not used)
45 Oliver Leyland
Also in 21-man squad
3 Jacob Gagai
17 Joe Greenwood
26 Archie Sykes

Tries: Rushton (30), Milne (37), Evalds (45), Geyer (66, 72)
Goals: Flanagan 4/4, Zenon 1/2

LEOPARDS
21 Gareth O’Brien
19 Innes Senior
23 Andy Badrock
4 Umyla Hanley
5 Josh Charnley
6 Adam Cook
7 Lachlan Lam
8 Joe Ofahengaue
17 Liam Horne
10 Robbie Mulhern
22 Jack Hughes
12 Owen Trout
13 Isaac Liu
Subs (all used)
9 Edwin Ipape
15 Jacob Alick-Wiencke
25 Louis Brogan
32 Jack Ashworth
18th man (not used)
16 Matt Davis
Also in 21-man squad
1 David Armstrong
20 AJ Towse
26 Nathan Wilde

Tries: Trout (9), Hanley (59), Mulhern (68)
Goals: Cook 3/3

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 6-6, 8-6, 14-6; 20-6, 20-12, 26-12, 26-18, 30-18

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Giants: Harry Rushton; Leopards: Louis Brogan

Penalty count: 6-3
Half-time: 14-6
Referee: Tara Jones
Attendance: 4,156