10:24am Sunday 4th May 2008
By Mike Parsons
Huddersfield Giants 34 Warrington Wolves 36.
WARRINGTON Wolves fought back from 22-6 behind at half time to gain their first Super League win in five outings at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday.
Lee Briers and Andy Bracek both crossed for a brace of tries in a sterling second-half show, making amends for a woeful first-half team display.
Chris Hicks' six successful conversions from six attempts proved to be the difference.
Wolves scored 24 unanswered points to lead 30-22 by the end of the third quarter but Huddersfield were not prepared to let the game go, cutting the lead to two points and again after Wolves went 36-28 ahead.
The decisive try four minutes from time was an opportunist effort from Welsh international Briers, darting over on a reverse angle.
Wolves went into the game without Vinnie Anderson (shoulder) and Jon Clarke (suspended) but welcomed back Stuart Reardon and Paul Johnson.
The return of Reardon at full back led to Chris Hicks switching to his accustomed right-wing spot, with Chris Riley dropping to the bench.
Mark Gleeson started at hooker in place of Clarke, while Ben Harrison took over Anderson's role at loose forward.
Paul Johnson was on the bench and used in the pack.
Wolves, backed by more than 3,500 of their barmy army supporters, started well and took the lead with a simple dummy-and-dart fifth-minute try from Michael Monaghan.
But it all went downhill from there for Warrington.
Huddersfield dominated possession and territory for the rest of a first half in which Wolves appeared to fall asleep.
A couple of mistakes in possession and some defensive misjudgements that led to penalties handed the momentum to a Huddersfield side that have been struggling next to bottom in the table.
Jon Sharp's men took advantage and piled on the pressure to score first-half tries courtesy of Michael Lawrence, Luke Robinson, Andy Raleigh and Rod Jensen, with Robinson's second conversion bouncing out off a post.
Wolves were let off the hook in the sixth minute of the second half when Giants cut the defence to pieces before Jensen knocked on with the try line begging.
After that, Wolves took control of affairs.
Reardon was rewarded for a determined display of strength and agility when he twisted out of Paul Jackson's tackle to spark the comeback with a 50th-minute try.
That became four tries in nine minutes as Briers pounced on his own grubber kick to score, Bracek galloped over from a Monaghan pass and then again from a Matt King grubber.
But the game was not over at 30-22.
John Skandalis barged over from short range for Huddersfield in the 68th minute and it was 13 minutes later when Briers put the result beyond doubt with his second try.
Raleigh got over the Wolves line again four minutes into stoppage time, leaving Wolves to hang on for a nervy final 40 seconds.
Giants: Rod Jensen (1t); Martin Aspinwall, Michael Lawrence (1t), Paul Whatuira, Shane Elford; Kevin Brown, Luke Robinson (1t, 5g); Darrell Griffin, Ryan Hudson, John Skandalis (1t), Steve Snitch, Andy Raleigh (2t), Jamahl Lolesi. Subs used: Eorl Crabtree, Paul Jackson, Keith Mason, Tom Hemmingway.
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, Louis Anderson, Ben Westwood, Ben Harrison. Subs used: Rob Parker, Andy Bracek (2t), Paul Johnson. Sub not used: Chris Riley.
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