Thorman goals prove decisive

Mar 11 2002 By Chris Roberts, The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

The fact the visitors didn't break down Rovers completely and failed to register a try might have been of slight concern to coach Tony Smith.

But, as opposed to their hosts, they did at least look capable of crossing the whitewash.

Apart from one early second-half scare when Lynton Stott broke from deep and elected to take the tackle from Hefin O'Hare rather than feed winger Alex Godrey who was in a far better position to continue the attack, Rovers simply never looked like scoring.

In fact, in the final quarter, the home fans were at their most animated when they were awarded scrums!

Huddersfield, on the other hand, always looked capable of making the vital breakthrough, and on so many occasions came desperately close to doing so.

In the opening half, former Rovers centre Graeme Hallas twice cut through only to find the cover defence thwarting him at the last moment.

Wingers O'Hare and Matthew Whittaker also threated to cut loose a number of times, while the experience of Steve McNamara constanly kept Rovers under pressure with probing kicks.

But it was Darren Turner who came closest to breaking the tryscoring deadlock.

That came 16 minutes into the game.

A strong run took full-back Paul Reilly to just short of the line, and in typical Turner fashion he crashed over behind the posts from the acting half-back position.