Hull FC 28 Huddersfield Giants 24: Yeaman’s double is welcome relief for Hull FC

TWO sides who offered so much promise earlier in the season played in direct contrast yesterday – like two sides who are woefully out of form.

There was little of the sleek skills and driven purpose on show in the Spring, just a pair of teams desperately seeking to eke out a win of any sorts.

Kirk Yeaman ensured it was Hull FC who got that crucial victory with a dramatic 78th-minute try after erring Huddersfield Giants yet again found another way to lose.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

However, it is hard to see either side recovering and challenging for Old Trafford and the Grand Final come October.

Huddersfield, meanwhile, have a more immediate aim which is somehow sorting their woe in time for an imminent Challenge Cup semi-final with Warrington Wolves.

They had ended their five-match losing run at London last week but it did not seem to have cured many of their ills while erratic Hull were similarly at odds with themselves for much of a scrappy encounter.

Certainly, there could be a series of bald spots on the KC Stadium pitch this morning given the number of miscued passes that hit the ground.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Huddersfield, leading 18-16 with 10 minutes to go thought they had blown it when Eorl Crabtree tried an ill-advised offload barely 30m from his own line.

Yeaman hacked on the loose ball and just rolled out of Danny Brough’s tackle to score although the furious Huddersfield defender was adamant he had prevented grounding.

Danny Tickle improved but Crabtree atoned when he supported a dancing David Faiumu in the 76th minute for Brough to convert and that should have been that.

But it is never so simple with the Giants nowadays. Luke George made a hash of Tickle’s short restart, allowing it to go into touch, and then their fringe defence was far too easily rounded by a simple wide move which an ecstatic Yeaman finished off for his fifth try in three games.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

After a first victory in five outings, Hull moved up to seventh and coach Peter Gentle admitted: “Probably the most pleasing aspect was we found a way to win.

“We’ve been rolled over in the last 10 minutes so many times this year so to actually dig in and get the win was great.

“It wasn’t textbook and at times quite scrappy – the skill level was poor – but we’ve had a really good look at ourselves and it was evident today as we found that will to win.”

Hull, who gave a debut to Hull KR signing Liam Watts, started brightly as Huddersfield were caught sleeping with a series of blunders which led to Ben Crookes’s third-minute opener.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Brough’s downfield kick went straight into touch, then his side conceded a penalty but, worst of all, straight from the tap their short side defence was exposed all too easily as Brett Seymour shrugged off George to feed his winger.

Tickle could not convert and it was Huddersfield who went on to direct most of a fast-flowing first quarter.

It was not until the 21st minute, however, that they managed to create a score.

Full-back Greg Eden’s timing was exquisite as he entered the line down the Giants right and evaded Richard Whiting to give Leroy Cudjoe a scent, the England centre showing a strong finish to dummy over.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Brough converted from wide out but the scrum-half, set to make his England debut against the Exiles on Wednesday night, struggled to get his colleagues moving with any sort of zeal.

More Huddersfield indiscipline led to the Airlie Birds’ second try when the otherwise excellent Scott Moore went high on Danny Nicklas and, this time, the hosts attacked their opponents’ right side.

Willie Manu angled back infield before finding Seymour looping around and swift handling from Yeaman saw Tom Briscoe stretch over.

It was a well-worked move but Huddersfield’s defence should have dealt with it.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Tickle curled over the conversion but his handling was unusually poor as he twice wasted further opportunities to strike.

Huddersfield were wasteful too until a side-stepping Moore broke Hull on the hooter, Brough supporting and standing up just long enough in Horne’s tackle to find Faiumu who dived over.

Brough converted for a 12-10 interval lead which was extended on 55 minutes after Kevin Brown picked up Seymour’s kick in front of his own posts and saw a non-existent Hull chase.

The Giants captain sped through a yawning gap to unleash George and, though Briscoe hurtled across to deny the winger, quick hands from Tommy Lee and Brough across the park saw Cudjoe furnish Aaron Murphy.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Brough improved again but Hull responded when impressive Aaron Heremaia – the Kiwi hooker who only debuted last week after a serious neck injury – threw a dummy and found the Huddersfield defence similarly vacant to saunter in from 30m for his first try in Hull colours.

Yeaman’s double then did the rest and Huddersfield coach Nathan Brown said: “It is the best we’ve played for five or six weeks but we let ourselves down by not sticking to the process what we need to do as a club to give ourselves a chance of winning.

“We gave Hull too many opportunities and then our attention to detail wasn’t so great for that short kick-off. It was disappointing.”

Hull FC: Horne; Crooks, Turner, Yeaman, Briscoe; Whiting, Seymour; Moa, Heremaia, Lynch, Tickle, Manu, Westerman. Substitutes: Pitts, Aspinwall, Nicklas, Watts.

Huddersfield Giants: Eden; Murphy, Cudjoe, Gilmour, George; Grix, Brough; Crabtree, Moore, Mason, Patrick, Lawrence, Brown. Substitutes: Chan, O’Donnell, Lee, Faiumu.

Referee: J Child (Dewsbury).