Super League: Huddersfield Giants have man sent off but beat Catalans Dragons
Huddersfield had Luke Robinson sent off but still inflicted only a second home defeat of the season on Catalan Dragons.
Last Updated: 27/04/13 8:53pm
The visitors were forced to play the last half-hour with 12 men after Robinson was sent off for what appeared to be a late and high tackle on Catalan full-back Morgan Escare.
They were trailing 16-14 at the time but rallied magnificently to produce a rousing finale and extend their winning run to five matches.
Centre Joe Wardle scored two of their five tries but the architect of their impressive triumph was skipper Danny Brough, whose tactical kicking kept his side on the front foot for most of the match.
Huddersfield made a dream start, forcing a scrum from the kick-off when Catalan second rower Zeb Taia fumbled the ball into touch, and Wardle touching down Brough's slide-rule kick within the first set of tackles.
A run of four penalties allowed the home side to put the Giants defence under pressure but they held firm and, with Brough pinning the Dragons back with his clever kicking game, they dominated the first half.
The Dragons earned a 10-8 half-time lead though as they scored tries from centre Jean-Philippe Baile, making his first Super League start of the season in the absence of six injured experienced first-teamers, and hooker Eloi Pelissier.
The game appeared to slip further away from the visitors three minutes into the second half when Taia won the race to Leon Pryce's kick to the line and Bosc's second goal made it 16-8.
A touch of magic from Brough got the Giants back in contention as the brilliant stand-off re-gathered his own kick to set-up Wardle to finish off the 80-metre move with his second try, making the gap just two points at 16-14.
Robinson then saw red to throw a spanner into the works, but they got a try with 12 men when Leroy Cudjoe scored after a great break from Lunt although that was answered by Frederic Vaccari scoring the Dragons' fourth try.
Brough's kick put Huddersfield two points in front and a last minute try from Lunt gave them a gritty away success.