Hull 15

Huddersfield RU 13

(National II North)

TWO coats of paint and a gust of wind cost Huddersfield what would have been their ninth consecutive victory at a breezy Ferens Road ground on Humberside.

With Huddersfield trailing by two points going into the last minute of the game, Chris Johnson had a penalty chance to snaffle victory with the final kick of the match, but his 40-yard attempt bounced up off the crossbar, and just as it seemed the forward momentum would carry the ball over for the winning points, a sudden gust of wind blew the ball back into play, and a Hull hand touched it down over his own line to signal the end of play and Huddersfield’s first defeat since October 22.

In truth, this was wasn’t one of Field’s most dominant performances, certainly in the first half when playing with the benefit of the wind behind them, they led just 7-3 at the break, thanks to a seventh-minute Adam Ryder try in the left corner.

Johnson knocked over the conversion from close to the touchline (probably his most difficult kick of the afternoon) but unfortunately, failed to land five other penalty chances, which on another day would surely have seen Huddersfield home and dry.

The swirling wind definitely made place-kicking difficult, and twice took Johnson’s penalties wide inside the first three minutes as Field enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges.

But they did open the scoring four minutes later, when good work by the forwards claimed possession on Hull’s 22, and when the ball was whipped out left, Michael Clark off-loaded to supporting full-back Tom Owen who sent Ryder in near the corner flag.

However, if Huddersfield had the lion’s share of possession in the opening quarter, it was Hull’s turn to take command in the second quarter, and only some excellent defence and a couple of dropped passes kept the Humberside outfit to three points at half-time courtesy of a James Cameron penalty.

A leg injury robbed Field of bustling flanker Ben Hoyle, replaced by Francis Entressengle, before a powerful run from second rower Gavin Rhodes took the visitors close, only for the half-time whistle preventing a further score.