HUDDERSFIELD’S Academy side suffered the agony of being ‘drop-kicked’ out of the Divisional play-off semi-finals after battling out a 14-14 tie with Sheffield.

Despite losing just one League game all season, Huddersfield had to settle for second place in the Northern Division, behind Old Brodleians, who although having lost four games, had more bonus points than Huddersfield.

And that sent Huddersfield into a play-off at Sheffield against a side they had narrowly beaten two weeks earlier in the Cup competition at Lockwood Park.

The South Yorkshire side took the lead after just five minutes with a converted try, while Huddersfield levelled before half-time when centre Harry Whitfield cut a great angle to go over the line for a try converted by Sam Hirst.

Whitfield looked to have forced his way over again on the stroke of half time, but was adjudged to have been held up.

Sheffield mounted a series of strong attacks and scored a second, controversial try (Huddersfield players claiming they had held the ball up) but it was awarded to put the home side 14-7 ahead, and to make matters worse, the visitors lost skipper Henry Ward with 15 minutes remaining with a knee injury.

They dug in however, and began to play some of their best rugby and moving the ball quickly through the hands it was again Whitfield who sliced through a gap in the defence to score under the posts. Hirst converted to again level the scores.

With two minutes left, Huddersfield were awarded a penalty, but instead of taking a kick at goal, elected to kick for touch, but after winning the line-out, the referee ruled forward progress had been halted, and awarded a scrum to Sheffield, which ran down the clock.

After the final whistle, the match was decided by drop goals and, agonisingly, it was Sheffield who took the honours to move into the League final.