Super League: Late Crabtree try seals Huddersfield win over Leeds
Last Updated: 30/04/16 9:53am
A late Eorl Crabtree try sealed a 28-20 win for Huddersfield Giants over Leeds Rhinos on Friday night.
The lead changed hands six times during the game, with the final shift coming from a Jake Connor try in the 74th minute, but it was Crabtree who sealed victory when he muscled over from close range with a minute remaining to lift the Giants off the bottom of the Super League standings.
It was Leeds who were in the lead at half-time, with Jordan Lilley converting his own try and adding a penalty to give his side an 8-4 advantage at the break.
It set up a stunning second half, as the sides traded tries before Connor and Crabtree secured a relieving win for Paul Anderson's men. The victory takes them into 10th spot, one place above Leeds and two above Salford, with the Red Devils this week docked six league points for a salary cap breach.
Huddersfield started the game in more threatening fashion than their opponents, with Danny Brough's high balls proving difficult for Ashton Golding to field. The pressure kept Leeds pinned near their line, and the Giants were rewarded for their strong start with the first try of the game when Ukuma Ta'ai crashed over from short range down the left.
Brough missed the conversion, but Huddersfield were off to an otherwise perfect start with five minutes on the clock. Leeds struggled to stay in the match, but eventually levelled the scores when Liam Sutcliffe put in a grubber from close range and Jordan Lilley latched onto the ball to stretch and score despite attention from the Huddersfield defence.
Lilley converted his effort to hand the Rhinos a 6-4 advantage after 26 minutes, and he furthered his side's lead with a shot at goal five minutes later. Leeds retained the four-point lead until half-time.
The second half started in similar fashion to the first, with the Rhinos struggling to field high kicks which kept them under pressure. Giants' Gene Ormsby then got the scoring underway after the break when he finished a move started by the quick feet of Brough.
Huddersfield then had a chance to put themselves a further two points ahead when Leeds were penalised under the shadow of their own poles, but they turned down the shot at goal and took it quickly. Their decision was immediately proven to be a poor one when the ball was spilled in midfield and Lilley tore up the field to put Leeds in a commanding position, before Rob Burrow found Josh Walters from close range to put Leeds 14-10 ahead after the conversion.
McGillvary then put his side in the lead in the 63th minute, after taking a pass from Leroy Cudjoe and cutting inside the defence to coast in for the try, but it was cancelled out with just over ten minutes remaining when Burrow threw a big dummy which offered up an enormous gap right on the tryline for an easy score.
It would not be the final score, though, as Aaron Murphy cut inside after a pass from Brough, and in the tackle offloaded to Connor. Connor dived over to give Brough a relatively easy conversion for a 22-20 lead with four minutes remaining.
Brough almost set up another try in the dying minutes, but after lengthy deliberation the video referee decided his foot was in touch just before he released his pass to Ta'ai.
It made for a tense ending before Crabtree managed to squeeze the ball over the line to cement a frenetic Huddersfield win in front of their home fans.
