Changing coaches at this stage of the season always smacked of trying to solve a problem that could not be resolved.

The fact that the Giants competed well in winning 31-30 at Salford essentially does not detract from the fact they will almost certainly be involved in the Middle Eights in a couple of weeks time.

But at least they are shaping up for the showdown in an unexpectedly upbeat frame of mind.

There has been no precedent to the past week in Giants’ history.

At one point the game may not have gone ahead following the tragic death of Giants Academy player Ronan Costello, playing against Salford Academy last weekend.

A silence and then a minute’s applause were observed by both sets of fans, as only the rugby league family can, and the game started to a chorus of ‘Only one Ronan Costello’ from the visiting fans.

Head of Youth Kelly took charge of the first team at the AJ Bell Stadium after the departure of coaching team Paul Anderson and Kieron Purtill.

Kelly wasn’t exactly left with a lot of choices to make.

However, Scott Grix was returned at full-back with Ryan Brierley not in the 17 and Tom Symonds, captured from the NRL from Manly, was straight in at second row.

But the opening minutes did not bode well as Salford were on the front foot and took the lead with a close-range try from former Giants prop Craig Kopczak, and Gareth O’Brien added the goal.

But the Giants managed to shake off the early setback as winger Jake Connor went in at the corner, Danny Brough failing to add the extras.

The contest remained scrappy, but the Giants slowly gained the ascendancy and then made pressure tell when Ukuma Ta’ai took an opportunity to break the line and score, and Brough’s goal put his side in front by four points.

All of a sudden the atmosphere changed and the Giants became expansive, and a flying move ended with Leroy Cudjoe going in for a try, with Brough’s goal giving the visitors a 10-point lead.

However, hopes of taking that advantage into the interval were ruined two minutes from half time when Salford created space for winger Daniel Vidot to score at the corner, O’Brien adding the goal.

The second half began in a subdued mood and it took until 10 minutes in for Brough to add a penalty to push the Giants advantage to six points.

But that was clawed back on 53 minutes as Salford winger Josh Jones went over and O’Brien added the goal to level the scores.

The Giants had other ideas and hometown hero Eorl Crabtree put the Giants back in front with a well-taken score on 62 minutes.

And just two minutes later, Joe Wardle was over the line again from a neat move that stripped Salford out on the right flank, and two Brough goals put Huddersfield out of reach, his cool drop goal only adding to the agony for the home side.

A glimmer of hope came for the home side when Jones collected his second try with five minutes to go and O’Brien added his fourth goal.

That glimmer became a taste of victory as, two minutes from time, Vidot claimed his second try and O’Brien’s fifth goal put his side within a point.

But the Giants managed to hold their composure to the end and clinch a single-point victory which is the perfect boost for next week’s Challenge Cup quarter-final assignment against Wakefield Trinity at the John Smith’s Stadium.

This first away win in nine months will taste sweet for coach Kelly, but it will always go down as a tribute to young Ronan Costello.