St Helens 14-14 Huddersfield: Giants battle back to draw
Last Updated: 07/04/17 11:33pm
Darnell McIntosh scored two tries as Huddersfield came from behind to earn a 14-14 draw at St Helens.
The Giants are without a win in six Super League matches but at least avoided a third straight defeat after full-back McIntosh inspired a second-half comeback.
It took 25 minutes for St Helens to get their first points but by the break the home side were in control as they took advantage of Huddersfield's brittle confidence.
Theo Fages broke the deadlock and then dazzled McIntosh with his footwork to make it a quickfire double before Adam Swift scored his 74th try on his 100th appearance to make it 14-0.
McIntosh's try 20 minutes from time led to a period of concerted Huddersfield pressure during which he touched down again before Sam Wood crossed two minutes from time to level the scores.
Danny Brough had the chance to win it for the Giants but he missed his touchline conversion as Huddersfield fell just short of a famous win.
Saints have been accused of lacking adventure under Keiron Cunningham and the opening quarter against the Giants did little to appease the home supporters.
Huddersfield were coming off the back of a 52-16 thumping by Castleford but they were the only side to have any kind of ball close to the opposition line during a forgettable first 20 minutes.
The Giants lost second-rower Dale Ferguson to a head injury and it soon got worse for Rick Stone's side as Saints took their first chance to put points on the board.
Mark Percival made the initial break and Zeb Taia kept his composure at dummy-half to pop the ball up for Fages to hit at speed and finish.
The opening try rocked the previously untroubled Giants and it was not long before the leakiest defence in Super League was breached again.
Offloads from Percival and Taia put Fages into space and the France international half-back left McIntosh on the floor with a big right-foot step to race clear for his second try.
Ferguson returned for Huddersfield but there was nothing he could do to prevent Swift from making it three tries in 12 minutes after Saints had shifted the ball quickly from right to left on a scrum play.
St Helens went into the break with a comfortable lead but they failed to kill the match off and Huddersfield gave themselves hope of a comeback just after the hour mark.
Brough had been quiet on his return from suspension but it was his pass that set former Saints half-back Lee Gaskell free and gave the Giants the field position for McIntosh to crash over from close range.
Huddersfield had their tails up all of sudden and they were sensing an unlikely victory after McIntosh took advantage of Fages' fumble in the in-goal area from Brough's kick to touch down.
Brough converted to pull the Giants to within four points and it was his kick that allowed Wood to finish in the corner after McIntosh's break had put Huddersfield deep into Saints territory.
Brough had the chance to win it for the visitors but their wait for a victory goes on.
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