Huddersfield Giants boosted their top eight hopes with a 24-16 win over St Helens, their third straight win in the Super League.
Leroy Cudjoe crashed over from close range to cap a period of sustained pressure off with an early lead.
Huddersfield remained the better team throughout the half and doubled their lead through Martyn Ridyard but Luke Thompson halved the deficit with a minute to go until half time.
Mark Percival finished a slick move down the left side early in the second half to cut the deficit further.
Adam O’Brien went under the posts from dummy half 10 minutes but Kyle Amor twisted his way over to make it a two-point game going into the final 15 minutes.
But it was to be the Giants who took the two points as Lee Gaskell squeezed the ball down under the posts late on to seal the win.
Huddersfield: 1 Jake Mamo, 2 Jermaine McGillvary, 3 Leroy Cudjoe, 4 Lee Gaskell, 5 Aaron Murphy, 6 Danny Brough, 33 Martyn Ridyard, 10 Shannon Wakeman, 14 Kruise Leeming, 15 Sebastine Ikahihifo, 12 Dale Ferguson, 16 Ollie Roberts, 9 Ryan Hinchcliffe; Subs: 8 Sam Rapira, 18 Paul Clough, 30 Alex Mellor, 31 Adam O’Brien.
Tries: Cudjoe, Ridyard, O’Brien, Gaskell; Goals: Ridyard 4.
St Helens: 1 Jonny Lomax, 2 Tommy Makinson, 3 Ryan Morgan, 4 Mark Percival, 28 Regan Grace, 6 Theo Fages, 7 Matty Smith, 8 Alex Walmsley, 9 James Roby, 10 Kyle Amor, 36 Zeb Taia, 12 Jon Wilkin, 13 Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook; Subs: 14 Luke Douglas, 16 Luke Thompson, 17 Tommy Lee, 20 Morgan Knowles.
Tries: Thompson, Percival, Amor; Goals: Percival 2.
More details from this game will feature in Monday’s League Express.
