Wakefield Trinity 12 Huddersfield Giants 14: Ian Watson finds Challenge Cup formula in welcome win

Huddersfield Giants were not at their best at Belle Vue - far from it - but they won the kind of arm wrestle they can expect in a Challenge Cup semi-final through sheer grit and determination.

The Giants were in need of a positive result after a winless Easter and they got it thanks to Ricky Leutele's try 15 minutes from time.

Wakefield Trinity spent much of the contest in the box seat and appeared to be on course for a seventh straight home win over Huddersfield.

But on the back of four consecutive defeats, Trinity did not quite have the belief to get over the line.

The lively Lewis Murphy lit Belle Vue up with a stunning try but Theo Fages' vision proved to be the difference in a hard-fought battle.

The 14-12 victory takes the Giants back up to fourth in the Super League table and, perhaps more importantly, gives Watson's side a shot in the arm heading into next week's Elland Road date with Hull KR.

Already without suspended trio Tui Lolohea, Chris Hill and Jack Cogger, Huddersfield suffered another blow when Jermaine McGillvary dropped out hours before kick-off after becoming the latest player to succumb to flu.

The Giants looked lively in the early stages but it was Wakefield who carved out the first opportunity of the game on the back of a sparkling break by Murphy.

Trinity moved the ball out to the left and appeared to have created enough space for Tom Johnstone to work his magic in the corner, only for the video referee to spot a foot in touch under pressure from Leroy Cudjoe.

It was an important intervention from the veteran centre but Huddersfield were guilty of shooting themselves in the foot in the build-up to Mason Lino's 16th-minute opener.

After Ashton Golding - making a rare start at full-back - allowed Jacob Miller's kick to bounce out for a 40/20, the Giants conceded a penalty and were punished.

Huddersfield scrambled to deny Miller but a quick play the ball allowed his half-back partner to dummy his way over on the next play.

Lino converted his own try from out wide and Wakefield had the early advantage they craved.

But Huddersfield upped the intensity and got right back in it through Chris McQueen.

Fages - back in the side after recovering from a concussion - forced a drop-out and then provided the pass that allowed McQueen to spin out of a tackle to touch down.

Oliver Russell sent his conversion attempt wide but the Giants went on to dominate the rest of the half.

Wakefield dug in to repel the visitors and then delivered a sucker punch on the stroke of half-time.

Huddersfield were expecting a kick when Lino collected the ball just outside his own 30 on the last tackle but the mercurial playmaker had other ideas.

He took the ball to the line and found Reece Lyne whose wicked kick back inside was collected on the bounce by Jai Whitbread.

The forward looked for his flying winger on the flank and he found him with a nice long pass that gave Murphy the chance to jink back inside and race towards the line as the half-time hooter sounded in the background.

His spectacular finish sparked jubilant scenes and Wakefield were on their way to a welcome win when Lino added the extras.

But Trinity buckled under incessant pressure after the interval as Huddersfield worked their way back into the game.

Murphy invited the Giants into Wakefield territory after making a mess of a play the ball and the visitors eventually found a way through thanks to Yates' powerful finish from Fages' short ball.

Russell cut the deficit to two points and Huddersfield were inches away from taking the lead for the first time when Fages' kick just ran away from Cudjoe.

Trinity shifted the momentum as the game entered the final quarter, giving the Giants the chance to show their defensive resolve.

Wakefield were unable to convert the pressure into points and found themselves behind when Leutele touched down Fages' neat kick in behind.

Russell missed from the tee but Huddersfield held Trinity at arm's length in the closing stages to see out an important victory, their first in four games.

Wakefield Trinity: Jowitt, Murphy, Lyne, Hall, Johnstone, Miller, Lino, Arona, Bowes, Tanginoa, Pitts, Ashurst, Batchelor.

Substitutes: Whitbread, Kay, Fifita, Crowther.

Huddersfield Giants: Golding, Wardle, Cudjoe, Leutele, I Senior, Russell, Fages, Wilson, Levi, English, Ashworth, McQueen, Yates.

Substitutes: Lawrence, Trout, Jones, Greenwood.

Referee: Tom Grant.