Super League leaders St Helens came from 10-0 down to snatch a face-saving victory over a virtual reserve Huddersfield side and stay top of the table.

Saints were staring at a third consecutive defeat after Wembley-bound Huddersfield scored two tries in the first eight minutes, but winger Francis Meli came to their rescue with a 64th-minute try that edged them in front for the first time.

With an eye on next Saturday's Wembley showdown with Warrington, the Giants left out 11 members of the side that knocked Mick Potter's team out of the Challenge Cup a fortnight ago, but the gamble looked to have paid off as they led 10-4 at half-time.

With Scott Moore, playing on loan from Saints, and Tom Hemingway dictating play, the Yorkshiremen outplayed their hosts for long periods of the match.

Saints were strangely out of sorts but found their touch in the second half and did just enough to grind out a precious victory.

A second successive defeat saw Huddersfield slip to fourth place in the table following Hull KR's 14-10 win at Salford and the Giants were also dealt an injury blow, with second-rower Simon Finnigan sustaining suspected knee ligament damage that makes him doubtful for the trip to Wembley.

Saints were boosted by the return of both captain Keiron Cunningham and inspirational scrum-half Sean Long but they had not even touched the ball when the visitors took the lead.

Danny Kirmond regained possession from the kick-off deep in Saints territory and lively hooker Shaun Lunt went through a gap in the home defence from dummy half inside the first set of tackles.

Winger Leroy Cudjoe added the conversion and increased his side's lead on eight minutes, finishing off some smart handling from impressive 18-year-old debutant full-back Elliott Hodgson at the corner for a second try.

The game was held up for four minutes for Kirmond to have treatment after going down awkwardly in a two-man tackle and the stoppage appeared to affect the cup finalists, who conceded a try within a minute of the resumption.

Saints could not find a way through the hard-working Giants defence but the visitors were powerless to stop winger Ade Gardner taking Long's lofted kick to touch down on 19 minutes.

Jonny Lomax failed with the conversion attempt and the Giants almost extended their lead just before the break when 18-year-old Hodgson found space but his opposite number Paul Wellens came to Saints' rescue with a last-ditch tackle.

Amazingly, Huddersfield continued to enjoy the majority of play in the second half and ought to have made more of a half-break from centre Josh Griffin.

St Helens gradually showed signs of finding their touch and scored a second try after 46 minutes when Hodgson was adjudged, harshly perhaps, to have knocked on near his own line. Centre Matt Gidley demonstrated his class to slice through the Giants defence and touch down at the corner straight from the scrum.

Lomax's conversion attempt struck an upright to leave Saints still trailing but they stepped up the pressure, forcing a series of goal-line drop-outs until the visitors' defence eventually cracked.

Meli, whose hat-trick in the cup semi-final was all in vain, had two tries disallowed by video referee Steve Ganson before succeeding at the third attempt, taking Lomax's pass to crash over after 63 minutes.

Lomax again failed with the conversion but it was enough to see off the brave Giants.