Briers the beating heart of a dramatic comeback

6:24am Thursday 8th May 2008

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Huddersfield Giants 34 Warrington Wolves 36.

THE final hooter signalled a narrow Wolves victory against Huddersfield Giants at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium and Lee Briers' response was to thump one arm across his chest while gripping the badge on his shirt.

It was a symbolic gesture from the proud match winner to the 3,500 or so vociferous travelling fans that Saturday's first Super League win in five outings was won from the heart.

The Welsh half back, inspired more than ever by the big red dragon adorning the home dressing room wall in Wales' national stadium, was the 18th giant on the pitch, standing tall as Wolves produced a stunning comeback against the second-bottom club.

Wolves trailed 22-6 after being out-enthused and outplayed in the first period of the opening Millennium Magic weekend clash.

But Briers, on the back of some tenacious forward play and a spark-injecting solo try from fit-again full back Stuart Reardon, set about tearing apart the Giants' advantage with troubling kicks and deceptive running that was rewarded with four tries in nine minutes.

His two second-half touch downs, the second of which proved to be the decider, took his Wolves career try total ever closer to the magical 100 mark.

He also played a huge part in Andy Bracek's first try in the 55th minute that returned the lead to Warrington for the first time since Michael Monaghan's four-pointer in the opening exchanges.

There was still work to be done, with Huddersfield fighting back with two more tries but Luke Robinson's first-half conversion bouncing wide off a post and Chris Hicks landing six from six also proved crucial.

Warrington should be credited for the way they fought back after soaking up a torrent of pressure, with Mark Gleeson stepping into suspended Jon Clarke's boots and producing some key scurrying from dummy half despite his recent limited game time.

But the second-half heroics were only required because of the abysmal display in the first 40 minutes, which resulted in Paul Cullen's men being booed off the pitch.

And Wolves' problems were familiar to some previous poor performances - unforced errors, needless penalties and a left-hand side of defence buckling under pressure for Huddersfield's opening two tries.

Jon Sharp's men, enjoying great control of the ball, piled on the pressure and achieved four repeat sets from drop outs, leaving Wolves counting down the minutes until the rescuing half-time hooter sounded.

Huddersfield full back Rod Jensen, scorer of the best try of the game shortly before half time but guilty of dropsy' for two Wolves tries after the break, could have put his team beyond reach in the opening exchanges of the second half but knocked on with the try line begging.

A slice of luck can very often be the difference between two teams but it helps to have a player as skilful as Briers to make the most of follow-up chances that come your way.

Match facts.

Huddersfield Giants 34 Warrington Wolves 36.

Giants: Rod Jensen (1t); Martin Aspinwall, Michael Lawrence (1t), Paul Whatuira, Shane Elford; Kevin Brown, Luke Robinson (1t, 3g); Darrell Griffin, Ryan Hudson, John Skandalis (1t), Steve Snitch, Andy Raleigh (2t), Jamahl Lolesi. Subs used: Eorl Crabtree, Paul Jackson, Keith Mason, Tom Hemingway (2g).

Wolves: Stuart Reardon (1t); Chris Hicks (6g), Martin Gleeson, Matt King, Kevin Penny; Lee Briers (2t), Michael Monaghan (1t); Adrian Morley, Mark Gleeson, Paul Rauhihi, Ben Westwood, Louis Anderson, Ben Harrison. Subs used: Rob Parker, Andy Bracek (2t), Paul Johnson. Sub not used: Chris Riley.

Referee: Ben Thaler.

Scoring: Monaghan dummies and hares over, 5mins, Hicks converts, 0-6; Lawrence charges through a hole from Lolesi's pass, 8mins, Robinson converts, 6-6; Robinson pounces on Hudson's grubber kick, 14mins, 10-6; Robinson weaves past Westwood and feeds Raleigh, 31mins, Hemingway converts, 16-6; Whatuira sends Elford flying down wing and Jensen is in support to cross, 40+mins, Hemingway converts, 22-6; Reardon forces his way over from a determined run, 50mins, Hicks converts, 22-12; Briers' grubber kick over the line is misjudged by Brown and Briers swoops on the loose ball, 52mins, Hicks converts, 22-18; Monaghan's inside pass guides Bracek over, 55mins, Hicks converts, 22-24; King's grubber is spilt by Jensen and Bracek scampers to the touchdown, 59mins, Hicks converts, 22-30; Skandalis barges over in Westwood tackle, 68mins, Robinson converts, 28-30; Briers dummies and angles a route to the posts, 81mins, Hicks goals, 28-36; Raleigh crosses from a Jackson offload, 84mins, Robinson converts, 34-36.

Pens: Giants 5 Wolves 6.

Scrums: Giants 7 Wolves 5.

Attendance: 30,628 (aggregate figure for all three matches on Saturday).

Warrington Guardian top men: Briers 3pts, Mark Gleeson 2pts, Westwood 1pt.

Interesting note: Highest number of cumulative points in a Wolves game this year.