Round 7: Giants hold off
spirited Tigers

Huddersfield held off a spirited fightback from Castleford to claim the points with an extraordinary 36-22 engage Super League win at the Jungle.

The Giants were coasting to victory when they scored four tries in the first 11 minutes to lead 22-0 but they relaxed their grip and the Tigers hit back to level the scores after an hour.

However, Huddersfield gained their second wind in the last 10 minutes to score two further tries and spare their blushes.

Making first use of a stiff breeze, the visitors enjoyed a whirlwind start with the Castleford defence in total disarray.

Impressive centre Albert Torrens handled twice in a flowing move up the left touchline to enable full-back Paul Reilly to score the first try with just 43 seconds on the clock.

Loose forward Stephen Wild then demonstrated his remarkable pace to score two tries in four minutes, one of them from halfway after Eorl Crabtree had stolen the ball from Tigers full-back Michael Platt.

The lively Wild also combined with centre James Evans to create a try for hooker Brad Drew and, with skipper Chris Thorman kicking three conversions, the game looked over as a contest.

Had right winger Stuart Donlan managed to finish off a clean break from Drew, the visitors would surely have been out of sight.

But the Giants lost Torrens with a leg injury midway through the half and Castleford, inspired by hard-working props Danny Nutley and Danny Ward, eventually clawed their way back into the game.

They profited from errors by Donlan, who missed a one-on-one tackle to let Luke Dyer in for a score, and prop Wayne McDonald, whose wild offload gifted an interception try to Willie Manu, his first for the club.

Manu added a second before half-time to cut the deficit to 22-14 and the second half was less than a minute old when the home side struck again in fortuitous fashion.

Reilly fumbled Matt Gardner?s pass on his own line and Castleford winger Deon Bird swooped on the loose ball to score his side?s fourth try.

Andy Kain?s second goal from four attempts brought his side to within two points and they built on the momentum.

The unfortunate Reilly twice more lost the ball to put his side under continuous pressure and, when former prop Paul Jackson was caught offside, Craig Huby levelled the scores with a 60th-minute penalty.

They might have gone on to win it but Michael Shenton knocked on over the line after collecting Kain?s high kick.

Crabtree then charged down Kain?s attempted drop goal and, when the home side were pulled up for not being square at the play-the-ball, Thorman edged his team back in front with a penalty.

The game was still in the balance when Evans pounced on Robbie Paul?s perfectly-judged kick for the clinching try eight minutes from the end.

There was still time for second rower Steve Snitch to score another try and Thorman kicked his sixth goal from seven attempts.

Castleford: Platt, Dyer, Shenton, Viane, Bird, McGoldrick, Kain, Ward, Henderson, Nutley, Whitaker, Huby, Fletcher. Replacements: Manu, Roarty, Handforth, Edwards.

Huddersfield: Reilly, Gardner, Evans, Torrens, Donlan, Thorman, Paul, Crabtree, Drew, Jackson, Nero, Jones, Wild. Replacements: Snitch, March, McDonald, Raleigh.

Castleford: (14) 22. Tries: Dyer, Manu 2, Bird. Goals: Kain 2, Huby.

Huddersfield: (22) 36. Tries: Reilly, Wild 2, Drew, Evans, Snitch. Goals: Thorman 6.

Referee: S Ganson (St Helens)

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