Long injured in Giants clash

Long's loss is a bitter blow to Saints

Huddersfield 26-44 St Helens

St Helens were forced to battle for their win over Super League strugglers Huddersfield but lost scrum-half Sean Long in the process.

The influential Saints star suffered a late hit from Brandon Costin after 15 minutes of Monday night's encounter at the McAlpine Stadium.

The England star was stretchered off and was later seen on crutches.

Huddersfield got off to a great start, taking a 6-0 lead when Andy Frew drove through and Steve McNamara converted.

But back came the Saints when Paul Sculthorpe twice went over with Paul Newlove following up later with another impressive try to leave the scores at 22-6.

Chris Thorman picked up on Kevin Iro's fumble for the Giants to cut St Helens' lead to just 12 points at the interval.

Graham Appo gave the home side hope straight after the restart as he barged through the Saints line to touch down, while McNamara's conversion made it 22-16.

But then Keiron Cunningham showed his class by jinking through five players for a try, which Sculthorpe converted.

Newlove added his second touchdown on 56 minutes to move the visitors 32-16 ahead.

Mark Edmonson notched up his first try in Super League for Sculthorpe to convert and Huddersfield then suffered a blow when Appo limped off after he twisted his ankle under a challenge from Tim Jonkers.

Although Dale Cardoza caught Saints napping with a kick-through score on 72 minutes, it was never going to be enough and the victory was completed by Paul Wellens' try five minutes from the end.

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Huddersfield: Appo, Frew, Cardoza, Thorman, Gleeson, Costin, Kusto, Laughton, Rowley, Marshall, Lomax, Atkins, McNamara. Replacements: Cooper, Slicker, Molyneux, Molloy.

St Helens: Stewart, Hoppe, Iro, Newlove, Sullivan, Wellens, Long, Edmondson, Cunningham, Fairleigh, Shiels, Joynt, Sculthorpe. Replacements: Jonkers, Matautia, Hall, Cruckshank.

Referee: Ian Smith (Oldham)