Giants end home losing streak by beating Hull

Betfred Super League

Huddersfield (14) 24

Tries: Bibby 2, Ikahihifo, Halsall Goals: Russell 4

Hull FC (6) 18

Tries: Ese’ese, Moy, Scott Goals: Reynolds 3

Huddersfield held on to pick up their first home win of the Super League season and heap more woe on lowly Hull FC.

Jake Bibby scored tries in either half for Giants while Seb Ikahihifo and Sam Halsall also crossed as the hosts ended a five-match losing streak in front of their own fans.

Hull FC battled gamely and a Herman Ese’ese try kept them in the game at half-time and late tries from Logan Moy - his first for the club - and Cam Scott set up a grandstand finish.

However Giants held firm as Hull slipped to a 10th straight Super League defeat and 11th in all competitions.

Huddersfield are now two points behind sixth-placed Salford, while Hull are only above bottom side London Broncos on points difference.

Jake Bibby jinked his way to Huddersfield's opening score after just nine minutes

Some quick hands from Kevin Naiqama led to Bibby darting between three tacklers and touching down on nine minutes with the recalled Ollie Turner adding the extras.

Moy produced a vital intervention to deny Adam Clune a try after chasing a kick forward on 23 minutes but the Giants did extend their lead three minutes later when Leroy Cudjoe fed Ikahihifo to crash through a gap and stretch for a try on his 200th career appearance, with Russell again adding the goal.

Hull reduced the arrears on 34 minutes when Ese’ese - playing after his six match ban was overturned this week – collected a pass from Ben Reynolds and powered over from close range, with Reynolds slotting the extras to make it 12-6.

Russell added a long-range penalty seconds before the break after a trip on Tui Lolohea to make it an eight-point game at the interval.

Hull started the second half on top and Bibby needed to produce a try-saving tackle while Moy saw a score chalked-off after an obstruction in the build-up.

Giants made the most of the let-off as Bibby walked in his second on 55 minutes after good work from Naiqama, though Russell missed his first kick to leave it at 18-6.

The game was all-but up for the visitors on 64 minutes as Halsall went over in the corner, though Russell again missed his kick, but he was successful with a penalty four minutes later after Tiaki Chan’s late hit on Clune.

Hull kept on going and Moy gathered a Ligi Sao offload to reduce the deficit with his first senior try for the club on 73 minutes.

Reynolds added the goal and then notched another three minutes later after Moy picked up a loose ball and sent Scott through to score in the corner.

The score set up a grandstand finale but the visitors were unable to fashion another chance.

Ian Watson, Huddersfield Giants head coach, told BBC Radio Leeds:

"I thought the boys were really good. We knew Hull would be different, they have been slightly getting better every week – we were expecting a real tough challenge. We knew we would have to work.

"It was a nervy finish but overall the boys did what we needed to – great job. I thought the boys saw it out and managed it really well. The scoreline didn’t really show how dominant we were overall.

"It feels like a step in the right direction – 70 minutes of that game we have done the right things - I thought we looked pretty good, but there are always things to learn from every game and things to work on."

Hull FC’s interim head coach Simon Grix told BBC Radio Humberside:

"Huddersfield are really good at strangling you out of the game. We made some opportunities which is good and it is a step forward but we are disappointed we didn’t get the win as opposed to being disappointed we've played poorly.

"You could argue we could have pinched it. We had a couple of line-breaks we didn’t finish. It hurts, the losses, but when the fans stay behind and clap you you know you’ve had a dig.

"We went through a bit of adversity and showed a bit of toughness which is a really good thing as we haven’t shown it enough this year."

Huddersfield: Lolohea, Bibby, Marsters, Naiqama, Halsall, Russell, Clune, Hill, Deakin, Yates, Rushton, Hewitt, Cudjoe.

Interchanges: Golding, Wilson, Ikahihifo, Connor, Greenwood.

Hull FC: Moy; Briscoe, Scott, Sutcliffe, Barron; Trueman, Reynolds; Ese’ese, Houghton, Aydin, Lane, Chan, Sao.

Interchanges: Fash, Ashworth, Smith, Litten, Martin.

Referee: Ben Thaler.