Giants back in hunt for top-six placing

Jul 28 2003 By Alec Ramsden, The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Giants 30 - 14 Hull FC. McNamara inspired but teamwork the key.

The Giants, it seemed, were home and dry. But defensive lapses showed the danger of complacency. Hull hooker Andy Last somehow found a way through from short range and then Best, who had been kept on a tight rein, pounced to touch down. Paul Cook was successful with one of the kicks.

Twelve points in arrears Hull tried desperately hard in the last nine minutes, but try-machine Costin put them in their place with a touchdown in the 77th minute, his eighth on the trot.

Bradford Bulls next Sunday will provide the strongest opposition in the eight-match run-in.

So that top six spot is very much a possibility.

MATCH FACTS

Giants: Reilly, O'Hare, Bailey, Costin, St Hilaire, March, Gene, Fleary, Turner, Gannon, Roarty, Whittaker, Bloem; Cooper, Morrison, Slicker, McNamara

Full FC: R Horne, Best, Love, Barnett, Wilkinson, Cooke, G Horne, Greenhill, Last, Dowes, Fletcher, Ryan, Chester; King, Carvell, Yeaman, Lupton

KEY MAN

STEVE McNAMARA'S all-round ability as tactician, trymaker and goalkicker (he landed five out of six attempts) clearly earned him the man of the match distinction, although another ex-Hull player Stanley Gene's first-half performance came close.

KEY MOMENT

PROP-FORWARD Darren Fleary's 56th-minute converted try which put the Giants 22 points ahead, a cushion needed when a sustained spell of attacking brought Hull two tries and a goal.

KEY STATS

Giants: Tries: Reilly 25mins, St Hilaire 30mins, March 52mins, Fleary 56mins, Costin 77mins. Goals: McNamara 5/6.

Hull: Tries: Carvell 42mins, Last 59mins, Best 72mins. Goals: Cooke 1/3.

Half-time: Giants 14 Hull 0.

Referee: Karl Kirkpatrick (Warrington).

Attendance: 4,821.

HUDDERSFIELD'S next outing is against Bradford Bulls at Odsal on Sunday (6.00).

Before that, Bradford visit London on Wednesday.

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