YORK KNIGHTS 22 HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS 24
EMMA KENNEDY, LNER Community Stadium, Saturday

HUDDERSFIELD finally broke their duck under Jim Lenihan – but were made to work hard for it by a resilient York.

It’s been a long time coming for the last-placed side, who finally got over the line and gave their supporters something to cheer about.

The Giants, who appeared far hungrier than York, trailed to an early David Nofoaluma try, but scored 24 unanswered points before eventually being pegged back by their hosts.

But it was not a game without cost for both teams, with Niall Evalds and Nofoaluma both failing HIAs.

Huddersfield started the better of the sides, with York initially struggling to make inroads against their pack.

The visitors saw the first sight of the tryline in the fourth minute after winning a penalty, but good pressure from Paul McShane forced Evalds into a knock-on.

York thought they had taken an eighth-minute lead when Cody Hunter broke the defensive line before finding Tom Inman on his shoulder, but a long video check showed a stunning George Flanagan tackle had forced the hooker into dropping the ball over the line.

They did, though, break the deadlock from their next attack.

After profiting from an Evalds knock-on, Toa Mata’afa broke down the left edge before McShane’s chip was grounded by Nofoaluma next to the posts, with Jon Bennison converting.

Inman’s 40/20 set the platform for another attack on the Huddersfield line, but McShane knocked on as York forced a pass too far, Connor Wrench then intercepted an Oli Field pass after the second rower had broken clear.

Huddersfield thought they had hit back as the half reached its midpoint when Mathieu Cozza – fresh from the bench – sliced through from close range, but he dropped the ball over the line under pressure from McShane and Galeano.

But the scores were level six minutes later after York gave up successive penalties and Lewis Jagger collected Tui Lolohea’s looping cut-out pass before evading two tackles and twisting his way into the right corner. Flanagan superbly converted from the touchline.

With the wind in their sails, the Giants looked to have taken the lead when Flanagan’s fancy footwork sent him over into the right corner, but the video-referee ruled the effort out for obstruction.

There was still time for another Huddersfield attack after Mata’afa had knocked on a spiralling bomb, but Sam Hewitt could not take in Cole Geyer’s pass with the tryline begging. It meant that the teams were tied at 6-6 at the end of a stop-start opening half.

York came out of the blocks well after the break, forcing a goal-line drop-out, but Huddersfield soon nudged ahead for the first time.

Lolohea chanced his arm with a kick that split Mata’afa and Nofoaluma, the halfback beating the pair as he raced to ground the loose ball. Initially ruled no try on the field, the call was overturned by Cameron Worsley after another long video check, with Flanagan again converting.

After Hunter was held up, York reduced the deficit on 50 minutes, Mata’afa sending Galeano crashing into the right corner after a neat one-two between McShane and Paul Vaughan.

But momentum remained with the visitors, who took advantage of another Knights error to send Connor Wrench across on the right edge, Flanagan’s conversion opening up an 18-10 lead.

Galeano was held up before Bennison was bundled into touch short of the line as the Knights looked for a response, Sam Wood then fumbling a simple pass as another chance passed them by.

Huddersfield instead extended their lead with ten minutes remaining after Zac Woolford danced his way over next to the posts, with Flanagan’s conversion taking the score out to 24-10.

York though almost had the last laugh, however.

First, Jordan Thompson burst through a gap in the Huddersfield defence to mark his 400th career appearance with a try, before Inman dummied his way over from close range, Bennison converting both to bring the score back to within two points.

But as desperation crept in, Huddersfield held on to send their travelling supporters into raptures.

GAMESTAR: Loose-forward Harry Rushton was relentless for Huddersfield, particularly in his tackling.

GAMEBREAKER: Tui Lolohea’s fine individual try early in the second half put the wind in the Giants’ sails.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: Lewis Jagger put on some neat footwork, evading two tackles before twisting his way across the line.

ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Harry Rushton (Huddersfield)
2 pts George Flanagan (Huddersfield)
1 pt Jack Martin (York)

MATCHFACTS

KNIGHTS
  1 Toa Mata’afa
23 Jon Bennison
5 Scott Galeano
26 Nikau Williams
46 David Nofoaluma
37 Cody Hunter
9 Paul McShane
13 Jordan Thompson
48 Tom Inman
15 Xavier Va’a
4 Sam Wood
20 Oli Field
6 Ata Hingano
Subs (all used)
8 Jack Martin
10 Paul Vaughan
14 Denive Balmforth
27 Matty Foster
18th man (not used)
24 Will Dagger
Also in 21-man squad
7 Liam Harris
17 Kieran Hudson
21 Kieran Buchanan

Tries: Nofoaluma (10), Galeano (50), Thompson (73), Inman (76)
Goals: Bennison 3/4

GIANTS
  1 Niall Evalds
21 George Flanagan
34 Connor Wrench
3 Jacob Gagai
42 Lewis Jagger
6 Tui Lolohea
18 Kieran Rush
23 Chris Patolo
9 Zac Woolford
14 Fenton Rogers
12 Sam Hewitt
43 Zane Dunford
13 Harry Rushton
Subs (all used)
16 George King
17 Joe Greenwood
20 Mathieu Cozza
40 Cole Geyer
18th man (not used)
15 Matty English
Also in 20-man squad
26 Archie Sykes
28 Logan Blacker

Tries: Jagger (26), Lolohea (46), Wrench (54), Woolford (70)
Goals: Flanagan 4/4

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-6; 6-12, 10-12, 10-18, 10-24, 16-24, 22-24

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Knights: Jack Martin; Giants: Harry Rushton

Penalty count: 2-6
Half-time: 6-6
Referee: Tara Jones