Stalwart Hilton plays Giants killer in thriller

Warrington 32 Huddersfield 28

A rare try from Mark Hilton steered Warrington towards a victory that sustains their hopes of a Super League play-off place to underline their improvement this season.

The prop forward, their only representative in the Origin Match this Wednesday, had scored only once so far this season and a mere five times in his long career with the club, but the way he found a gap in an overworked Huddersfield defence nine minutes from the end was the decisive moment in a fluctuating match.

There was nothing to choose between the sides in a ferociously contested first half. Huddersfield took the lead after seven minutes, with Darren Fleary scoring surely the longest range try of his career, from all of 30 yards, after good work by Hefin O'Hare and Brandon Costin, who also added the goal.

Warrington hit back through Graham Appo, thanks to Jon Clarke's long pass, but Appo's dissent, after he had been adjudged to knock-on, gave Costin a second goal.

Two tries in five minutes then swung the balance back to the Wolves. The first came when Lee Briers intercepted Jarrod O'Doherty's pass and went half the length of the field.

Briers was also involved in the second, getting the ball to Brent Grose, who transferred it swiftly for Rob Smyth to score, with Briers converting for a six-point lead.

The Giants were showing just as much enterprise as their hosts, however, and they drew level shortly before half time. They took advantage of a penalty, when Nick Fozzard was placed on report for a stray elbow, David March supplying the pass for Stanley Gene to race through and Steve McNamara to tag on the tying goal.

Huddersfield regained the lead early in the second half with a try from March that looked dubious on two counts - Costin's knock-on and O'Hare's forward pass.

The Wolves struck back with Domic's break through the middle and Julian Bailey was sin-binned for holding down, for Briers to put over another goal.

A thrilling match was all square again when Warrington moved the ball wide and Paul Noone threw the final pass to Ian Sibbit, but McNamara edged the Giants in front once more with a penalty after Clarke obstructed March and another, awarded for ball stealing.

Warrington threw everything at the Giants after that, but their defence held up heroically until Hilton found a way through and Briers put them ahead with his conversion.

As time ran out for Huddersfield, Smyth slipped over for his second and Briers' fourth goal seemed to make the points safe, despite a final flourish from Huddersfield through Costin's touchdown and an injury time lunge by O'Hare that was halted on the line.

Warrington: Appo; Smyth, Grosse, Sibbit, Gaskell; Briers, Waters; Fozzard, Clarke, Hilton, Noone, Burns, Domic. Subs used: Gleeson, Stevens, Sturm, Hulse.

Huddersfield: Reilly; O'Hare, Bailey, Costin, St Hilaire; Gene, March; Fleary, Turner, Gammon, Roarty, O'Doherty, Bloem. Subs used: McNamara, Slicker, Morrison, Holroyd.

Referee: S Ganson (St Helens).