HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS 23 WARRINGTON WOLVES 10
JOHN DAVIDSON, Accu Stadium, Sunday



HUDDERSFIELD may have delivered a mortal blow to Warrington’s slender Super League play-off hopes with a hard-fought, come-from-behind home win.

The Giants fought back to snatch an eye-catching victory, with two late George Flanagan tries, to seal an impressive result.

The loss leaves the struggling Wolves in eighth place, four points below seventh-placed Wakefield and five points behind sixth-placed Hull FC with just four games left.

Despite leading at half-time they were unable to add to their score in the second half, succumbing to a Flanagan-inspired revival by the Giants.

The Giants mounted an attack in the 18th minute after winning a penalty for a high tackle.
In the next set Warrington’s Lachlan Fitzgibbon was helped from the field after receiving an accidental knock to the face, and he went off for a head-injury assessment.

And Huddersfield were ready to strike as Flanagan showed some fancy footwork on the right wing and put Aidan McGowan over in the corner for the opening try.

Flanagan stepped up to convert the score from the sideline with a brilliant strike, putting his side six points ahead.

However, the fullback soon went from hero to villain after a costly error in his own in-goal area.

Warrington hoofed the ball and Flanagan went to return it, but he lost the ball as he was being tackled and Connor Wrench pounced for the Wolves’ first score.

Sneyd couldn’t add the conversion so the so the Giants held on to the lead.

But they gave up an offside penalty after the restart and then conceded a cheap try to Warrington, when Sam Burgess’ men spun the ball wide and Matt Dufty found space, with Toby King stepping back inside to touch down. Sneyd didn’t miss the conversion this time, putting the Wolves four points ahead.

And they went close to a third try with six minutes left in the half, but Jake Thewlis knocked on George Williams’ wayward offload.

Right on half-time Sneyd attempted a long-range field-goal, but his kick sailed wide.

Huddersfield needed a strong start to the second half and they were presented a gift when Warrington spilled the ball ten metres from their own line.

But sloppy handling and forced passes saw the Giants also surrender possession.

The two teams continued to trade errors, with neither being able to keep the ball for long periods.

However, back-to-back penalties for the Giants helped them get into Warrington’s 20-metre zone, allowing them to force a goal-line drop-out but dropping the ball in the next set as both sides’ handling malaise continued.

But with 15 minutes left the game was turned on its head when Jacob Gagai dived on Oliver Russell’s grubber kick to level the scores. Flanagan missed the conversion, however, and the game was tied going into the final ten minutes.

And as the clock ticked down, a mistake at the play-ball handed Huddersfield the opportunity to grab the win.

And they did just that, Gagai’s inside pass finding Flanagan, who brilliantly scrambled his way over the line for a decisive score, converting his own try to put the Giants six points ahead.

That lead was augmented when Olly Russell, back at Huddersfield on loan, added a field-goal, before the final drama, with Flanagan crossing again to secure victory for the Giants and their delighted supporters.

GAMESTAR: George Flanagan had a hand in just about everything good that came from Huddersfield.

GAMEBREAKER: Jacob Gagai’s second-half score turned the game on its head.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: A huge hit on Ben Currie by Huddersfield’s pack in the first half knocked the ball out of his arms.

ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts George Flanagan (Huddersfield)
2 pts Jacob Gagai (Huddersfield)
1 pt Matt Dufty (Warrington)

MATCHFACTS

GIANTS
29 George Flanagan
24 Aidan McGowa
n
3 Jake Bibby
1 Jacob Gagai
5 Sam Halsall
27 Kieran Rush
36 Oliver Russell (D2)
22 Tristan Powell
9 Zac Woolford
18 Fenton Rogers
13 Harry Rushton
17 Joe Greenwood
21 Leroy Cudjoe
Subs (all used)
14 Ashton Golding
15 Matty English
10 Tom Burgess
8 Oliver Wilson
18th man (not used)
10 George King
Also in 21-man squad
33 Archie Sykes
– Marshall Land
– Logan Blacker


Tries: McGowan (19), Gagai (65), Flanagan (71, 78)
Goals: Flanagan 3/4
Field-goals: Russell (76)

WOLVES
1 Matt Dufty
28 Jake Thewlis
3 Toby King
20 Connor Wrench
2 Josh Thewlis
35 Marc Sneyd
6 George Williams
13 Luke Yates
9 Danny Walker
40 Ryan Matterson
38 Sam Stone
12 Lachlan Fitzgibbon
11 Ben Currie
Subs (all used)
14 Sam Powell
8 James Harrison
27 Luke Thomas
21 Adam Holroyd
18th man (not used)
7 Leon Hayes
Also in 21-man squad
15 Joe Philbin
19 Stefan Ratchford
41 Ewan Smith

Tries: Wrench (23), King (26)
Goals: Sneyd 1/2

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-4, 6-10; 10-10, 16-10, 17-10, 23-10

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Man of the Match
Giants: George Flanagan; Wolves: Matt Dufty

Penalty count: 5-3
Half-time: 6-10
Referee: Aaron Moore
Attendance: 3,941