Super League: Huddersfield Giants hold off Warrington Wolves fightback for 26-20 win
Tries from full-back Gaskell, Jermaine McGillvary and Kenny Edwards helped secure an important win for Huddersfield; Warrington fought back from 20-0 down at half-time through Greg Inglis, Daryl Clark and Josh Thewlis, but it was not enough
Last Updated: 18/05/21 6:04am
Lee Gaskell crossed twice as Huddersfield Giants held off a second-half fightback from Warrington Wolves to claim only their second win of the 2021 Super League season with a 26-20 triumph.
Gaskell's two converted tries and another from Jermaine McGillvary saw the Giants storm into a 20-point lead at half-time, silencing the 4,000 home crowd which had been admitted to the Halliwell Jones Stadium for the first time in over a year.
The Wolves gave them something to cheer about after the break though as tries from Greg Inglis, Daryl Clark and Josh Thewlis pulled them to within two points of the Giants. However, Kenny Edwards' try gave the away side the daylight they needed to hold on.
Stefan Ratchford returned to the Warrington side following his late withdrawal from the Challenge Cup tie against Catalans and - with skipper Jack Hughes suspended - Mike Cooper was given the captain's armband to lead his home town club.
Huddersfield, meanwhile, made just one change from the side which were defeated by St Helens in the Cup quarter-finals, with Jake Wardle coming into the side at centre in place of Sam Wood.
The Giants certainly gave an early indication of their intentions with two tries from Gaskell in the opening 11 minutes of the game to shock their hosts.
A superb break by Ricky Leutele was carried on by Darnell McIntosh whose speculative pass was scooped up by Gaskell to score and the Giants full-back repeated the act eight minutes later when he scythed through the Wolves defence for a fine solo try.
Sezer was on target with both conversions to give the visitors a perfect start, and it got better for Ian Watson's side six minutes before half-time when more enterprising play from the visitors ended with McGillvary touching down in the corner.
Half-back Sezer maintained his 100 per cent record with the boot with a fine touchline conversion and then booted over a penalty in the last minute of the half to stretch his side's lead.
The home side needed some inspiration and finally troubled the scoreboard just three minutes after the restart when Inglis managed to squeeze the ball down - before he was forced to limp from the field due to injury - and Widdop converted.
It gave the Wolves the boost they needed when hooker Clark scooted over from dummy half and then Thewlis went over and, with Widdop on target with two further goals, they had clawed they way back into the contest at 20-18.
But a try 13 minutes from time from man of the match Edwards settled the wobbling Giants and Sezer's late penalty saw them home to victory despite Warrington's last-gasp bid to send the game into extra-time.
Post-match reaction
