Last-gasp heartache

Jul 19 2003 By Doug Thomson, The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

St Helens 22 - 18 Huddersfield Giants. Second half mistakes so costly after super Costin stuns Saints.

Costin gave the Giants a little extra breathing space with a penalty on the hour, but Saints drew level when Albert squeezed over for his second try on 63 minutes in a move which began when after Ben Roarty was beaten to a loose ball by the alert Wellens.

There was controversy when Long's conversion was disallowed by referee Ian Smith after one touch judge raised his flag and the other kept his down.

And home discontent increased when McNamara kicked a long-range penalty to make it 18-16 in the 67th minute.

However it was Saints who had the final say of an entertaining contest.

MATCH FACTS

Giants: Reilly, St Hilaire, Costin, Bailey, O'Hare, Gene, March, Fleary, Turner, Gannon, O'Doherty, Roarty, McNamara; Grayshon, Slicker, Morrison, Whitaker

St Helens: Wellens, Stewart, Hooper, Gleeson, Albert, Long, Higham, Britt, Cunningham, Mason, Joynt, Bennett, Sculthorpe; Jonkers, Edmondson, Jones, Kirkpatrick

KEY MAN

BRANDON COSTIN is the player who is making things happen for the Giants, and his two-try salvo in the first half put them in sight of what would have been a major achievement.

KEY MOMENT

IT TOOK some desperate scrambling defence to deny Costin a hat trick of tries when he was set up by Paul March (again) in the 38th minute. A 20-point lead at the break would have proved very hard for Saints to overcome.

KEY STATS

Giants: Tries: Costin 7 and 20mins. Goals: McNamara 4/4, Costin 1/1.

St Helens: Tries: Albert 46 and 63mins, Cunningham 50mins, Wellens 78mins. Goals: Long 3/4. Sin-binning: Wellens 15mins, holding down.

Half-time: St Helens 0 Giants 14.

Referee: Ian Smith (Oldham).

Attendance: 9,288.

Scrums won: Giants 10 St Helens 7.

Penalties conceded: Giants 5 St Helens 6.

Pictures © Graham Lynch Photography