Super League: Widnes Vikings 24-20 Huddersfield Giants

Widnes winger Corey Thompson’s two tries take him to 16 for the season in Super League

Widnes ended their eight-match losing Super League run by coming from 16-0 down to beat Huddersfield.

Tries from Nathan Mason, Danny Brough and Joe Wardle had the visitors in command until Corey Thompson scored just before the break.

But the Vikings ran in four tries inside 20 minutes in the second half, two of them stunners from Joe Mellor.

Thompson got a second and then Stefan Marsh scored too before Jermaine McGillvary's consolation.

Huddersfield had won four of their previous six matches in a fine run that had seen them twice beat champions Leeds and lose only narrowly at Wigan and in Perpignan against Catalan Dragons.

But they were no match for the ferocity of the Vikings' comeback once Thompson had got them on the scoreboard.

Brough also kicked two of his four conversion attempts for an individual eight-point haul, while Rhys Hanbury landed two out of five with the boot.

The Giants remain next to bottom, two points above struggling Leeds, while Widnes stay in eighth, but are now four points clear of ninth-placed Salford.

Widnes coach Denis Betts told BBC Radio Merseyside:

"We were the better team, even when we went 16-0 down. We just couldn't get over the line. We made a hash when Danny Brough scored his try but came back well and showed plenty of character.

"We needed a win. It's a relief. We haven't been playing badly, but losing games. Now it will put some belief in our bellies.

"We had been getting too anxious, but although it wasn't pretty at times we looked more like the side we were at the start of the year."

"Joe Mellor has been searching for his game in recent weeks, like others, but he's found his feet and Gil Dudson carried the ball really well."

Giants coach Paul Anderson told BBC Radio Leeds:

"We got what we deserved. At 16-0 up, another score may have put the game to bed.

"But we made too many individual errors and missed tackles. Where we are at the moment we can't afford to be that sloppy.

"At half-time we spoke about doing the simple things right but undid everything we did against St Helens last week.

"It's a fair wake-up call and a reality check. We have to be a lot better than that."

Widnes: Hanbury; Thompson, Bridge, Runciman, Marsh; Mellor, Brown; Dudson, White, Cahill, Dean, Houston, Leuluai.

Replacements: Sa, Buchanan, Manuokafoa, Whitley.

Huddersfield: Grix; Mason, Cudjoe, Connor, Murphy; Brough, Ellis; Crabtree, Hinchcliffe, McGillvary, J Wardle, Ta'ai, Lawrence.

Replacements: K Wood, Rapira, Roberts, Ikahihifo.

Attendance: 4,683.

Referee: Chris Kendall (RFL).