Huddersfield Giants came from behind to beat Salford Red Devils 18-36 and end a four-game losing streak.
MATCH DETAILS
The away side trailed 8-0 early on when Tyrone McCarthy and Ken Sio both scored, but tries from reliable pair Matty English and Innes Senior meant that they held an 8-10 lead at the break.
Going into the match, Huddersfield were level on points with the sides at the foot of the table and, after Hull KR seem to have found form of late, the win was imperative.
Darnell McIntosh made it 8-14 early in the second forty as the visitors established their dominance and, although Kris Welham scored for the hosts, Salford never truly looked like overturning the deficit.
This became even more apparent when tries from Kruise Leeming, Ukuma Ta’ai and Jake Wardle saw the Giants build a 12-30 lead.
McCarthy got another consolation score for the Red Devils, but McIntosh’s second with two minutes left put the icing on a very impressive Huddersfield cake.
In all, Giants ran in 36 points in 50 minutes to condemn Salford to a second successive loss following their poor showing Wigan last Friday.
Meanwhile, Huddersfield head coach Simon Woolford saw his players win for the first time in over month – their last win coming in the 2-55 mauling of Hull FC on 25 May – and the two points move them up to ninth on 16 points with Leeds, Hull Kingston Rovers and London Broncos all on 14.
FOUR POINTERS
Salford were poor
This was a surprise victory for Huddersfield and Salford will surely see this as two points wasted.
Their visitors were in retched form and if they had reached even 80% of their usual standard, they would would come away with the win.
This is massive for Huddersfield
On a four-game losing streak, away to a tough, physical opponent, Huddersfield would have been forgiven a loss here, but no. To a man they stood tall and powered through to record their most important win of the season.
Can they climb the table?
The Giants will take huge confidence from this and will surely now look up the table as their upcoming games are arguably easier than this one. If they play like that every game, they’ll be fine.
McGillvary didn’t even score
There has been a recurring theme in Huddersfield’s season: if McGillivary scores, they win. But this time, the whole team collectively picked up the mantel and showed what they’re made of. A brilliant team performance.
THE RESULT
Salford + 18ย
Tries: McCarthy (3,74), Sio (15), Welham (49)
Goals:ย Inu (1)
Drop Goals:ย n/a
Huddersfield + 36
Tries: English (29), Senior (36), McIntosh (44,79), Leeming (57), Ta’ai (60), Wardle (70)
Goals:ย Gaskell (1) McIntosh (3)
Drop Goals:ย n/a
SQUADS
Salford: Evalds; Johnson, Inu, Welham, Sio; Lolohea, Hastings; Nakubuwai, Lussick, Dudson, Jones, Lannon, McCarthy.
Interchanges:ย Bibby, Flanagan, Burke, Tomkins.
Huddersfield: McIntosh; McGillvary, L Senior, Jake Wardle, I Senior; Gaskell, Holmes; Clough, O’Brien, Ikahihifo, Ta’ai, Mellor, Murphy.
Interchanges:ย Leeming, Lawrence, English, Wilson.
