By D Whittle
Huddersfield – 26
Morley – 21
Elliot Hodgson scored a hat-trick as Huddersfield overcame their Yorkshire rivals and the conditions to win.
Hodgson followed up his two tries last week by going one better, as Field ended a five match unbeaten run for the visitors.
It may not have been Field’s best performance, but Hodgson’s tries were enough to maintain their seven point lead at the top.
Coach Gareth Lewis said: “It wasn’t our best day if we’re honest with ourselves, even though we won, but it was in difficult conditions, we’re a young group of players and we’ve done well given the circumstances.
In a game slowed down by the boggy conditions, it was the visitors who started the brighter, but Hodgson scored an exact replica of his try first try last week, by intercepting from half way and scoring easily under the viaduct.
‘Field soon doubled their lead as Giles Hetherington’s dummy pass broke him clear and he found Ben Mitchell, who scored as the hosts grew into the game.
As ‘Field started to show their class, another try soon followed, as Joel Hinchliffe’s clever kick allowed Hodgson to double his tally, while Tom Hodson began a good day with the boot.
But the visitors showed why they have been tough to beat, scoring just before and after halftime. Patient build up play allowed Bradley Marshall and Sean Dadswell to score, meaning that the league leaders would be made work for their victory.
But the day belonged to Hodgson and to Field. Assisting in his earlier try, Hinchcliffe was once again the provider and he fed the winger brilliantly as Hodgson completed his hat-trick.
Although Morley scored again through Tom Moody, Field had enough for victory as their victory song echoed round the changing rooms of Lockwood Park.
Lewis said: “Club Tropicana has been playing in there, but it’s not the same as some of the other victories we’ve had this season, our defence wasn’t what I expect and what we pride ourselves on this year, in attack we didn’t retain the ball for long periods of time and we just weren’t at the races today.
Field now have a week off to recover, hopeful of returning with more players and a victory over Penrith.
Lewis said: “We’ve got quite a few of our key players carrying knocks, Gav Rhodes, Tom Owen, Ben Morrill and Ben Hoyle took a knock today, a couple of lads are going for scans this week on knee injuries so a week off is just what we need at this time.”
Referee: Ben Davis
Huddersfield : Stringwell, Davies, Birkhead, Rhodes, Rhodes. Sykes, Hoyle, Sharpe, Hinchliffe, Hetherington, Clark, Van Rooyen, Mitchell, Hodgson, Hodson. Subs: Lewis, Brian, Battye.
Morley: Benn, Gabriel, Auden, Hanson, Flegg, Finn, Moody, Smyth, Dadswell, Chester, Clough, Marshall, Frantzis, Bradshaw, Moon. Subs: Bell, Brown, Sambhi
