St Helens 30 Huddersfield Giants 22: Giants come up short after Saints take their chances

However, the wait goes on after Nathan Brown's side squandered a glorious opportunity last night to secure a first win at Knowsley Road since 1978.

With the home side missing eight players due to injury and England selections, Huddersfield were confident of building on last week's emphatic success over Bradford Bulls and exposing their under-strength opponents.

But, a combination of ill-fortune, poor decision-making – from their players and referee Ben Thaler – and the constant menace of the ever-influential Keiron Cunningham conspired to see the West Yorkshire club thwarted again.

They fought back to level at 22-22 with Leroy Cudjoe's try but young Saints winger Jamie Foster held his nerve to slot a 70th-minute penalty and then Leon Pryce came to life to shimmy though a tired Giants defence for Andrew Dixon's match-clinching effort seconds later.

However, Brown's side were seething as, moments before Foster's kick, they feel Saints should have been reduced to 12 men.

Francis Meli flattened Jermaine McGillvary with an ugly high tackle which left the shaken young Huddersfield winger – who had scored twice on his Super League debut at Bradford – needing lengthy on-field treatment.

He was eventually able to gingerly walk off the field, joining England prop Eorl Crabtree who had earlier limped away with a foot injury and Kiwi David Fa'alogo, but the incident was only put on report by Thaler when Meli realistically should have received a card of some colour.

But Huddersfield were without Kevin Brown who is primed for his England debut this evening and they missed his control.

Danny Brough switched to stand-off and Luke Robinson reverted to his traditional scrum-half role, Shaun Lunt – released by England – starting at hooker.

Huddersfield began brightly and went close when Lunt hit Keith Mason's excellent off-load and stretched out of Paul Wellens's tackle but his arm fell inches short of the line.

They had further pressure on the back of a flurry of penalties but that was relieved again when Pryce intercepted another off-load, this time from Lunt.

St Helens showed no such profligacy as they quickly responded to record the first try of the night on 10 minutes.

Huddersfield centre Leroy Cudjoe did brilliantly to hold up a charging Francis Meli but later in the set, Cunningham produced one of his trademark shuffles out of dummy-half and Matt Gidley surged back on the angle.

Foster added the first of his six goals and four minutes later Saints stunned the expectant visitors with another try.

Brett Hodgson returned Pryce's downfield kick in regulation style but there was nothing standard about Gary Wheeler's action when the young Saints centre ripped possession clear of the veteran Giants full-back in a one-on-one tackle.

Reigning Man of Steel Hodgson looked on bemused and helpless as his crafty opponent turned and sprinted 20 metres untouched to the line.

When prop Bryn Hargreaves delicately slipped Wellens through a gap in his own half, Saints looked like they were ominously finding both form and confidence.

However, Brett Hodgson managed to haul down his opposite number and, when Gidley spilled under pressure from Brough, David Hodgson picked up and weaved his side clear down the left flank.

With their first piece of of incisiveness in the 17th minute, Robinson's neat pass ushered Stephen Wild into space and the ex-Wigan man swiftly found David Faiumu back on his inside. But Brown was left fuming as his careless side conceded again all too easily.

Wild seemed to have Tony Puletua all wrapped up as the powerful Samoan marauded close but he somehow scored, Foster making it 16-4.

The visitors created two tries out of nothing though in the final three minutes of the half.

First, ex-Saints man Lee Gilmour powered onto Brough's short pass and through Pryce's weak tackle and then Grix – just moments after entering the fray – dived over off Faiumu's pass after excellent build-up play from Robinson who had contributed a 40/20.

Hodgson levelled it at 16-16 for the break but Brett Hogdson made a mess of Scott Moore's grubber close to his own line, Saints took their chance.

Again it was Cunningham who delivered the crucial short pass as Nick Fozzard – the former Huddersfield prop – bulldozed his way over from close range for his first try in more than three years. Huddersfield lacked invention and missed the calming talent of Brown as Grix, Brett Hodgson and Brough often forced the wrong option.

However, an exquisite off-load squeezed out by Faiumu gave Grix sight of the line as Huddersfield hit back.

He ignored support and was halted by Wellens but the Saints full-back did not complete the tackle and Grix eventually found Cudjoe who stepped inside the bedraggled defence and found his way over.

Hodgson converted the 61st- minute try to level but the Giants were ultimately denied.

St Helens: Wellens; Foster, Gidley, Wheeler, Meli; Pryce, Moore; Fozzard, Cunningham, Hargreaves, Clough, Flannery, Puletua. Substitutes: Ashurst, Dixon, Emmitt, Johnson.

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

Referee: Ben Thaler (Wakefield).