St Helens 42 Huddersfield Giants: Giants unable to halt tide of history as curtain falls

It had been 32 years since they last won at Knowsley Road so the prospect of ending that run and securing a maiden Grand Final appearance on the same evening St Helens were departing their spiritual home of 120 years was all too much to ask.

Yet, when ex-Saints player Lee Gilmour scrambled over to put a highly-spirited Huddersfield

22-18 ahead on 48 minutes there was a distinct feeling the unthinkable could occur and Nathan Brown's side could be heading for Old Trafford.

With scrum-half Kyle Eastmond also having departed with a repeat of his hip injury, worryingly for the watching England coach Steve McNamara ahead of next month's Four Nations, Giants were further encouraged.

However, given Saints' propensity to produce thrilling finales at this ground, it was never likely Huddersfield would be able to protect their line for the next 10 minutes let alone half hour and, fittingly, Keiron Cunningham returned to the field to orchestrate their swift revival.

The legendary hooker – who had departed for his first breather when Saints led 12-0 – came back to settle their nerves, guiding them home and, typically, scoring the final try on an emotional occasion at the creaking old stadium.

So, as Saints head for a fifth successive final next Saturday to play the winners of tonight's game between Leeds and Wigan, Huddersfield, who have made such strides this year, must wait to make their own Old Trafford bow.

It was 1962 the last time they were crowned champions but they showed enough promise last night to suggest it will not be long before they are treading the same path.

Looking for an eighth successive win, they impressively overcame an early 12-0 deficit after the unlikely figure of Bryn Hargreaves put Saints in command.

The prop – who joins Bradford next month – had not scored a try in 18 months but, after the match was delayed by 10 minutes due to understandable crowd congestion, he grabbed two in the opening 13 minutes.

However, showing the sort of spirit and drive which had got them so far, and significantly aided by a flurry of penalties in their favour, Huddersfield responded.

Initially, they seemed to be denied with the outstanding Sia Soliola delivering some crunching and timely tackles, first frustrating Darrell Griffin and then Kiwi Test team-mate David Fa'alogo having also shuddered Brett Hodgson with one seismic collision.

Hodgson recovered sufficiently to fire in an untouched Shaun Lunt with a flat pass from dummy-half exposing poor Saints defence on 22 minutes.

Shortly after, when Matt Gidley fumbled Danny Brough's difficult kick, Hodgson spotted room down Saints' left and executed a perfect cut-out pass that allowed Michael Lawrence to dive over in the corner.

Hodgson expertly improved both to level but, after Huddersfield's long-held discipline finally wavered, Stephen Wild going high on Jamie Foster after Brough's downfield kick, Saints showed their predatory instincts.

It was another of their legendary figures who scored, Paul Wellens storming onto Paul Clough's cute inside pass at the ruck to surge through Hodgson's tackle and stretch out of Gilmour's desperate attempt.

Foster improved the 34th minute score but the determined visitors – with Keith Mason enjoying a thunderous game up front with destructive England prop Eorl Crabtree – refused to yield and earned a third try through Lawrence 15 seconds before the hooter.

The muscular winger may be nicknamed Bruno but he demonstrated his defter side with a classic finish. Collecting Brough's impromptu kick, Lawrence silkily dabbed the ball past Francis Meli before sprinting around the rooted Saints player to re-gather.

Hodgson could not level again this time but Gilmour, who spent six seasons at Knowsley Road and featured in the last four Grand Finals before being squeezed out by salary cap constraints, latched onto Hodgson's clever dummy-half kick and silenced his old faithful. It was rich reward for Brown's side, who had turned down a shot at goal to strike, and Hodgson extended their lead with the conversion.

But then Wellens got his second in similar style to Gilmour, stretching out a hand to touch down James Roby's kick from short range before Cunningham directed a barging Tony Puletua over with another crisp pass.

Huddersfield's discipline continued to cost them and, after Wild conceded a fifth successive penalty – albeit harshly for a high tackle on James Graham – another forceful surge by Puleta saw Meli profit in the corner before Cunningham barged over at the climax.

St Helens: Wellens; Foster, Gidley, Soliola, Meli; Smith, Eastmond; Graham, Cunningham, Hargreaves, Wilkein, Flannery, Puletua. Substitutes: Roby, Clough, Dixon, Emmitt.

Huddersfield Giants: B Hodgson; Cudjoe, Lawrence, Gilmour, D Hodgson; Brown, Robinson; Griffin, Brough, Maosn, Lunt, Fa'alogo, Wild. Substitutes: Crabtree, Kirmond, Faiumu, Patrick.

Referee: Phil Bentham (Warrington)