Amateur RU: Huddersfield 13 Lions 27

Mar 30 2009 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

FOR the second time in this inaugural National III North campaign, Huddersfield felt the superior strength and power of Leicester Lions as they suffered a 12th defeat of the season.

Having held a slender one-point lead at the interval, Huddersfield were unable to maintain it in the second period and, like the first meeting between the sides back in December, the Lions pushed on for victory.

It must be said, however, that they were ‘aided and abetted’ by referee Lee Towers who ‘had a hand’ in three of the four tries, and by Matt Johnson, who gifted them the first.

Playing with the aid of a stiff wind behind them, Chris Johnson gave Huddersfield the lead on three minutes with a 42-yard penalty and in the early stages there seemed little to choose between the sides.

Leicester full-back John Boden had a couple of wayward penalty shots, the first after Johnson was harshly adjudged to have made a deliberate knockdown, when in truth it was almost a great interception which would certainly have produced seven points had he been able to cling on.

Centre Matt Clarke, who was again Field’s most potent attacking force, came to his side’s rescue after 27 minutes, when his last-gasp tap tackle up-ended flying Lions winger Gareth Collins.

But five minutes later Collins did cross the line after a kick-through which Matt Johnson tried to kick to safety, but missed leaving the right winger to touch down.