Huddersfield broke their duck and finally registered their first game of the season with a dramatic 10-7 win over Stourbridge at Lockwood Park.
A 60-yard charge by captain Nick Sharpe gave Richard Brown the opportunity to score the winning try and end Huddersfield’s early-season drought.
It was a game of few chances and points. A scrappy start saw the two sides exchange scrums regularly through the first fifteen minutes.
Stourbridge made the breakthrough after being awarded several scrums in a row, eventually forcing their way over the line, with the conversion following suit.
Huddersfield struggled to pick up momentum in the first half, although a penalty by Joel Hinchcliffe got them on the scoreboard for 3-7.
Both sides were struggling to create any clear openings with defence clearly on top, although Stourbridge just about edged the first half to go into the break ahead.
The second half started off much the same with the game being bogged down in the middle of the park.
Huddersfield finally made their breakthrough when Sharpe gathered the ball in his own half and set off on a burst which took him past three Stourbridge players.
After finally being stopped close to the line, the ball broke to substitute Brown who forced it over with little over fifteen minutes left. Hinchcliffe completed the conversion to put Huddersfield 10-7 up.
Hinchcliffe had the chance shortly after to put ‘Field further ahead with a penalty but he missed from a difficult angle.
From then it was Stourbridge on the attack – with Huddersfield defending a lead late on not for the first time already this season.
However, where before they had cracked they now stood firm and defended heroically to see the game out in front of a delighted Lockwood Park.
Huddersfield team:
Owen
Hodson
Mitchell
Martin
Hodson
Hinchcliffe
Jeffrey
Battye
Thornton
Sanderson
Thompson
Rhodes
Malthouse
Hoyle
Sharpe
Subs:
Brown
Purcell
Walker
Cosgrove
Clarke
