Giants secure nail-biting win

Huddersfield Giants 31-19 Castleford Tigers

Huddersfield Giants slim play-off hopes remain alive after a nail-biting victory over Castleford Tigers. 

Giants will be thankful for hat-trick hero Jermaine McGillvary and for Aidan Sezer’s almost constant perfection which allowed Giants to make it back-to-back Super League victories.

Despite being depleted by injuries, Castleford were the team to strike first through Gareth O’Brien. A great offload by Mike McMeeken gave O’Brien a gift of a try and Giants trailed after an even first eight minutes.

Castleford were determined to increase their lead in the game and less than five minutes later they did, this time it was Greg Eden’s turn. 

Giants were stretched in defence and with McGillvary out of position, Ashton Golding couldn’t cover out wide and Eden scored with an athletic finish in the corner.

A missed conversion from O’Brien meant Giants trailed 10-0 inside twelve minutes.

The Tigers early dominance continued when, straight from kick-off, O’Brien kicked a 40-20 and they had another opportunity to punish Giants, however, an obstruction from Jesse Sene-Lefao let Huddersfield off the hook.

Giants soon punished their opponents for this through McGillvary ending a run of four games without a try.

A superb pass from Sezer took three defenders out of the game and McGillvary scored a typical winger’s try in the corner.

They backed this score up with another straight after and Jake Wardle added his name on the scoreboard.

Kenny Edwards this time will take the credit for a fantastic assist and after a Sezer conversion, Giants found themselves 12-10 ahead.

After a ferocious opening 20 minutes, the game slowed down but a late penalty, supported by a drop-goal by O’Brien meant Giants went into the break trailing 13-12.

Castleford started the half in scintillating form with a sensational try within the opening minute of the half.

A kick that went high and not very far, fell kindly for Eden and his run was followed by a  sensational offload off the floor by McMeeken which found Jack Sanderson and the Tigers extended their lead to five points.

A shell shocked Giants tried to reply five minutes later but their flowing move of offloads, runs and more offloads was halted following an obstruction.

Another penalty, again from that man O’Brien, nudged Tigers into a seven point lead with just under half an hour left to play.

Giants probed the Castleford defence but too often were lacking in ideas and seemed to be constantly coming up with errors at the worst possible moment.

However, a smart pick-up from Wardle after a Castleford knock-on sent Giants on their way to another try in the 61st minute.

Fast hands down the line found McGillvary and the winger, after a smart step inside, had his second of the evening.

A successful conversion was followed up with a drop-goal, both from Sezer, and with twelve minutes left, the game was tied at 19-19.

Moments later, the Giants captain made sure he stayed in the headlines to score his second converted-try in as many games to put his team six ahead.

McGillvary wrapped up his hat-trick in the final stages, catching a superb cross-field kick from Jordan Turner and Giants secured the two points. Sezer’s superb conversion was the icing on the cake for Huddersfield.

Luke Robinson’s second victory in charge could hardly have been different from his first but he will no doubt be delighted to see his team, for once, win a close encounter.

Sezer and McGillvary will deservedly grab all the headlines but solid shifts from Wardle and Golding in particular will also impress Robinson ahead of the clash against Hull KR next week.