St Helens let slip a 14-0 lead to lose more ground on Super League leaders Leeds with a third defeat of the season, at Huddersfield.

The Giants halted a three-match losing run to pull off one of the upsets of the season, prop Darrell Griffin returning from suspension to score two of their five tries and doubling his tally for the club.

Saints picked up from where they left off against Wigan with a blistering start at the Galpharm Stadium. But they looked a tired team in the second half, and coach Daniel Anderson will need to pick up his side quickly for the visit of the Rhinos on Friday.

Huddersfield initially had no answer to the dazzling creative play of half-backs Leon Pryce and Sean Long and the penetrative dummy-half running of James Roby as the visitors raced into a 14-0 inside 17 minutes.

Long, so influential in Saints' 44-10 Good Friday derby victory, set up the game's first try with a perfectly-placed high kick for full-back Paul Wellens to touch down after only seven minutes.

Left winger Francis Meli fluffed a simple chance, knocking on with the line at his mercy, but second rower Chris Flannery demonstrated decisive finishing on 17 minutes to make the most of a half-break by Pryce.

Long kicked both conversions and also added a penalty to make it 14-0 before Huddersfield, who gave a full debut to 17-year-old threequarter Michael Lawrence, launched their fightback.

Griffin, returning from his one-match ban to help offset the loss of one-time St Helens target Stephen Wild with a dislocated wrist, charged over from close range on 24 minutes - and Chris Thorman added the goal.

Four minutes later, centre Jamahl Lolesi took Stuart Jones' pass and cut inside the cover for the Giants' second try.

Pryce scored a third try for Saints, latching on to a precise Long grubber kick - and Long kicked his fourth goal. But Huddersfield struck again in the last act of the first half when centre Paul Whatuira touched down Thorman's kick to the line.

There was a touch of controversy about the score, which came after the final hooter had sounded.

Thorman landed his second goal to cut the gap to just four points, and Huddersfield went in front for the first time two minutes into the second half after a catalogue of errors by the visitors.

Long missed his penalty kick to touch, and then Meli lost the ball in the first tackle to give the Giants perfect field position - which they put to good use to get Griffin charging over for his second try.

Thorman's third goal made it 22-20. But Huddersfield's lead lasted just seven minutes, Roby forcing his way over from dummy half and Long kicking his fifth goal.

But there was one more twist to come when Lolesi sent Rod Jensen over for the home side's fifth try, and Thorman's fourth goal edged them back in front.

Saints had a chance to win it when Jensen missed Jon Wilkin's high kick to the corner, but the unfortunate Meli fumbled the ball over the line for the second time.