Huddersfield 32-22 Warrington: Wire fall to third straight defeat
Warrington Wolves fell to their third straight defeat with a 32-22 score to Huddersfield at the John Smith’s Stadium.
The Giants scored three tries in the last 15 minutes to come from behind to beat Daryl Powell’s side and strengthen their hold on a top-four spot in Super League.
Ian Watson’s men trailed for most of the game but profited from the sin-binning of prop Joe Bullock to score two tries against their 12-man opponents, going in front for the first time in the 70th minute thanks to a solo try from Will Pryce.
Warrington, boosted by a lively debut by Australian full-back Matt Dufty, were on course for their first away win since February when winger Matty Ashton scored his second try to put them 22-14 in front but their inability to hang onto a lead once more cost them dear.
Match report
The Wolves, who are still in trouble near the foot of the table, were dealt a blow before kick-off when England half-back George Williams pulled out with a bad migraine.
Powell was forced to switch Peter Mata’utia into the halves alongside Stefan Ratchford, with Connor Wrench recalled at centre. While Huddersfield had back-rower Josh Jones playing as a makeshift centre in the absence of the suspended Leroy Cudjoe.
Dufty, who has been in the country less than a week, made his mark as early as the fifth minute, laying on the pass from which on-loan centre Jake Wardle scored the opening try against his parent club.
Ratchford added the conversion and kicked the first of three penalties to increase the lead to 8-0 before slow-starting Huddersfield began to work their way into the game.
Skipper Luke Yates was held up over the line after a trademark surge and a strong run from substitute Joe Greenwood created the position for Jones to send winger Ashton Golding over for the Giants’ first try.
Oliver Russell’s conversion rebounded off an upright and Ratchford kept the scoreboard ticking over by punishing Huddersfield’s indiscipline to extend his side’s lead to 12-4 before hooker Adam O’Brien, making his first appearance for seven weeks, scored an opportunist try from dummy half just before the break.
Russell kicked the conversion.
HT: Huddersfield 10-12 Warrington
The visitors restored their eight-point cushion five minutes into the second half when the pacy Ashton intercepted full-back Pryce’s kick to sprint 60 metres for their second try.
Pryce compounded the error by kicking out on the full for the second time to ensure more work for the Giants’ defence.
Huddersfield stayed in the contest, with Jones scoring a third try after Theo Fages’ grubber kick bounced around the in-goal area, but Russell was again unable to add the conversion.
The game appeared to swing irreversibly towards the Wolves when Ashton finished off a well-executed move to score his second try on 55 minutes but Ratchford was off target for the first time with the boot to leave the home side within touching distance at 22-14.
The pivotal moment came on the hour when Bullock was shown a yellow card for pulling back Owen Trout as he chased a kick to the line and the Giants scored two tries while their opponents were down to 12 men.
Russell’s long, looping pass got winger Innes Senior over at the corner while Pryce, making amends for an otherwise slipshod display, produced a jinking run through the middle and Russell kicked both conversions to make it 26-22.
Trout then clinched the win by charging through a tiring Wolves defence for his side’s sixth try and Russell kicked his fourth goal.
FT: Huddersfield 32-22 Warrington
Huddersfield: Pryce, Golding, Jones, King, I.Senior, Russell, Fages, Trout, O’Brien, Wilson, Hewitt, McQueen, Yates. Bench: English, Greenwood, Ashworth, Levi.
Tries: Golding, O’Brien, Jones, I.Senior, Pryce, Trout.
Warrington: Dufty, Minikin, Wrench, Wardle, Ashton, Mata’utia, Ratchford, Mulhern, Clark, Amor, Currie, Nicholson, Clark. Bench: Holmes, Bullock, Harrison, Mikaele.
Tries: Wardle, Ashton (2).
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