Generous Giants throw it away!

May 26 2003 By Chris Roberts, The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Vikings 42 - 30 Giants. Crucial errors prove the downfall

GENEROUS Huddersfield Giants gifted Widnes two Super League points after the visitors produced a spirited performance which deserved to be rewarded.

Brandon Costin's second try with 12 minutes remaining had given his side a 30-24 advantage and put the Giants in pole position to go on and wrap the game up.

Yet straight from the kick-off, fit-again full-back Paul Reilly ruined a superb return to senior action by spilling the ball in his own 20 as he attempted to keep the ball alive.

With Widnes awarded a scrum deep inside their opponents' territory, the home side took full advantage as Ryan Sheridan plunged over on the sixth tackle after collecting Jules O'Neill's inside pass.

O'Neill then added the extras and almost immediately the Vikings were back on level terms.

And if that wasn't bad enough, another Giants' error four minutes later enabled the grateful Vikings to pillage another gift six points.

Once again Reilly was at the heart of the misfortune, although any player would have struggled to hold on to Darren Fleary's offload under heavy traffic.

But with the knock-on on halfway given, Widnes again punished their visitors to the full.

Five drives took play to the Giants' line and on the sixth tackle, O'Neill repeated the identical move to the previous try to give Adam Hughes the walk-in.

The score was converted and in the space of six demoralising minutes the Giants had gone from 30-24 ahead to 36-30 behind.