Castleford 19-31 Huddersfield: Jermaine McGillvary hat-trick keeps Giants hopes alive
Last Updated: 24/09/20 10:59pm
England winger Jermaine McGillvary scored a hat-trick of tries to help Huddersfield gain back-to-back wins under caretaker coach Luke Robinson.
The Giants were trailing 19-12 to Castleford after an hour but scored 19 points in the final quarter to grab a thrilling 31-19 victory.
In a remarkable finish to the game, Huddersfield captain Aiden Sezer converted McGillvary's second try from the touchline to bring them to within a point and levelled the scores with a drop goal.
The Australian scrum-half then came up with the all-important try 11 minutes from the end and McGillvary applied the finishing touches by completing his hat-trick.
It meant a sixth defeat in seven league and cup matches since the resumption for Castleford, whose top-four hopes are now hanging by a thread.
The consolation for the Tigers was a spectacular try on his debut by winger Jack Sanderson, who was signed from Hull in March and became the 1,000th player to play for the club.
In the absence of Danny Richardson and Jake Trueman, Castleford coach Daryl Powell was forced to use a makeshift half-back pairing in Gareth O'Brien and Calum Turner, but they got off to a tremendous start with two tries in the first 10 minutes.
O'Brien got the first after former England second rower Mike McMeeken had off-loaded from the tackle and shortly afterwards former Huddersfield winger Greg Eden scored his first since the opening game of the season to make it 10-0.
Inevitably it was Sezer who sparked the Giants fightback, laying on an inch-perfect cut-out pass for McGillvary to touch down on 16 minutes.
Centre Jake Wardle then finished off a superb crossfield passing move, sidestepping past wrong-footed defenders for Huddersfield's second try, and Sezer kicked his second conversion to give his side the lead for the first time.
Castleford prop Grant Millington had a try disallowed for offside but O'Brien levelled the scores with a 38th-minute penalty and nudged his team back in front a minute later with a towering drop goal.
Sanderson's big moment came 90 seconds into the second half following a poor clearance kick from Turner which bounced kindly into the hands of Eden.
He took play up to the Giants' 20-metre area and took a return pass from McMeeken before floating the ball out for the former Hull youngster on the right wing.
O'Brien was wide with the conversion attempt but put over a penalty on 52 minutes to put two scores between the teams.
Huddersfield's response was aided by a couple of handling errors by their opponents and replacement hooker Oliver Russell was held up over the line before centre Leroy Cudjoe worked McGillvary over for his second try.
Sezer's touchline conversion meant there was just a point between the teams and he brought his side level on 67 minutes with a drop goal before supporting a break by Wardle to score his side's fourth try.
The skipper's fourth goal put six points between the sides but was wide with a second drop-goal attempt that ensured a nervy finish.
But the Giants had all the momentum and they made sure of the points when McGillvary collected Jordan Turner's kick to the corner for his third try and Sezer maintained his accuracy with his fifth conversion.
