Huge step towards key play-off place!

Mar 3 2008 by David Lockwood, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

JOB DONE! Two more precious League points harvested and another major step taken towards that precious North I play-off place.

That was what coach Mark Sowerby had called for prior to Saturday’s game in Cumbria, and that is what his eager side delivered with four first-half tries at a gale-ravaged Winters Park.

Huddersfield had the advantage of the wind behind them in the first half, and Sowerby knew his team had to deliver the goods in the first 40 minutes. They carried out the game plan, almost to perfection.

Winger Tim Collins provided the near-perfect start, when on the first attack, a tap penalty sent the ball quickly out left where the pacy Kiwi skipped down the touchline and then chipped over the full-back before racing through and touching down after just four minutes.

And four minutes later the visitors were through again.

After several drives by the forwards, scrum half Damian Clayton set off from a ruck, dummied to create some space and fed flanker Hamish Pratt, who also made ground after selling another dummy to the leaden-footed Penrith defence, and then off-loaded to Nick Sharpe to crash over from close range.

Chris Johnson, who was wide of the mark with his first conversion attempt, made no mistake this time, and Huddersfield were already 12-0 ahead.

Collins, who proved a real handful all through the first half, was so nearly through again down the left touchline, but after doing the hard work, he failed to spot the supporting Pratt inside him, and was tackled with the ball 15 yards short of the line.

It didn’t seem to matter too much, however, as chances were coming thick and fast as the home side struggled to get out of their own half, choosing to boot high kicks into the wind, which only served as good as passes to Huddersfield’s eager runners.

And when they did try to run it out of defence, their passing was laboured, which provided Johnson the chance to intercept just inside the Penrith 22 and run unchallenged between the sticks for his side’s third try, to which he also added the conversion.

Steven Wood did pull three points back with a penalty from in front of the posts as Penrith crossed Huddersfield’s 22 for the first time in the game on 30 minutes, but then it was straight back down the park as Johnson used the wind well with some booming kicks.

Relishing the wind at the backs and a slight slope in their favour, Huddersfield’s forwards drove Penrith back towards their own line, and Johnson notched his second try when he took play on himself, side-stepped a couple of tackles and just managed to reach out over the whitewash.

His conversion left Huddersfield handily-placed at 26-3 at the half-time whistle, although it was obvious they would face a torrid time after the change-round, and so it proved as they soon discovered what it was like running into the teeth of a howling gale.

“It was like running uphill with a man on your back,” said top try-scorer Mark Whitehead, who pushed his side into Penrith territory early in the second half after a break from Lee Paxman.

Unfortunately, an alleged late tackle from brother Ben (Paxman) led to him spending 10 minutes in the sin-bin, and the Cumbrians took full advantage by launching a couple of attacks, the first of which should have ended in a score, only for the final pass to be spilled, while the second did see them cross Huddersfield’s tryline after they were caught short of cover and centre Darren Richardson got the touchdown.

Wood converted and also added a 60th-minute penalty (the home side did have the benefit of a 16-7 penalty count in their favour) but Huddersfield’s very solid defence was never breached again.

Johnson tried a couple of little dink chips over Penrith’s defence, but after it was clear they were not coming off, the forwards adopted the correct tactics by steadily driving the ball upfield and denying Penrith possession.

Huddersfield’s front row of Jim Howard, James Davies and Tony Stringwell were immense in the second half, while Pratt produced a host of telling charges into Penrith’s line to ensure the Lockwood Park side’s 16th victory in 18 outings, and more importantly, maintained their five-point advantage in second spot in the division.

Huddersfield: McLaren; Shaw, Paxman (B), Paxman (L), Collins (Ainsworth 70); Johnson, Clayton; Howard, Davies, Stringwell, Sharpe, Rhodes, Pratt, Whitehead, Sowerby (Hinchliffe 66).

Penrith: Wood; Slack, Richardson, Armstrong, Young, Newton, Swale, Raine, Stephens, Bowman, Dawson, Preston, Wilson, Rutledge, Lund. Subs: Johnson, Simpson, Potter.

Referee: Chris Meadows (North West Federation).

Other results: Altrincham Kersal 9 Liverpool St Helens 13; Birkenhead Park 8 Hull 38; Cleckheaton 9 Kendal 23; Middlesbrough 20 Darlington 13; Sheffield Tigers 0 Westoe 8.