SKY Sports had picked what looked like a one-sider for their Thursday night round 20 fixture, as league leaders Hull FC visited second bottom Huddersfield Giants. Twenty league points separated the two teams and both came into the game with very different aspirations.

Jamie Shaul and Gareth Ellis were both missing for FC after getting injured last week, while Giants skipper Danny Brough was suspended. All the form books confidently tipped a Hull win.

But sometimes sport doesn't heed the form book.

After good early Huddersfield pressure the finally broke the FC defence on seventeen when a Jamie Ellis grubber was grounded in goal by Michael Lawrence to score behind the sticks. Ellis added the extras for an unexpected 6-0 lead.

Both sides probed and prodded over the next twenty but neither could break through strong defensive lines.

Seconds before the break and Jamie Ellis kicked a penalty to give the Giants a deserved 8-0 lead at the interval.

Two minutes into the second half Fetuli Talanoa looked to have out Steve Michaels over in the corner but the try was ruled out by the video referee.

A couple of minutes after getting a try turned down Danny Washbrook used his upper body to punch past three defenders to ground after Eorl Crabtree had given away a daft penalty for striking out. Marc Sneyd added the extra two and narrowed the gap to two points.

On forty-seven an Ellis kick was pounced upon by Tom Symonds to ground and score behind the sticks after it ricocheted off the post padding. Ellis added the extras to re-establish the margin.

On fifty-one the Giants were in again with Jermaine McGillvary picking up a loose pass on the wing to step inside the Hull winger to dive over. Despite a suspicion of a knock-on referee Kendall was in no doubt and gave the try. Jamie Ellis missed the conversion leaving the score at 18-6.

On fifty-four a Jake Connor 40-20 gave the Giants the platform for McGillvary to get his second try in three minutes. Ellis missed the conversion attempt.

Hull had to chase the game but the more they pushed the ball, the more mistakes they made.

On seventy-seven Marty Fonua got a consolation try when he ran over the top of the Giants defence to score above his head. Marc Sneyd added the conversion for 22-12.

As the clock ran down to eighty minutes, the Giants celebrated their sixth win of the season which lifted them up to ninth in the table and kept alive the Giants slender hopes of making the top eight. FC have now left the door open, for the chasing pack to make ground in the quest for the minor premiership.

Giants: Connor, McGillvary (2T), Cudjoe, Wood, Murphy, Ellis (3G), Brierley, Rapira, Leeming, Ta'ai, Symonds (T), Lawrence (T), Hinchcliffe. Subs: Crabtree, Wood, Roberts, Mason.

FC: Naughton, Michaels, Fonua (T), Tuimavave, Talanoa, Pryce, Sneyd (2G), Taylor, Houghton, Green, Manu, Minichiello, Pritchard. Subs: Thompson, Hadley, Bowden, Washbrook (T).

Referee: Chris Kendall.

Attendance: