HUDDERSFIELD captain Rob Kelly produced a man-of-the-match performance to steer his team to a 6-3 victory over Hull Seconds.

In the early stages, it looked like a repeat of last week’s lethargic show as Hull took an early lead on the break.

But it did not take Huddersfield long to respond as Martin Hirst tapped in Greg Moorhouse’s goalbound shot.

A lapse in defence allowed Hull to go back in front to start the alarm bells ringing again, but then Huddersfield hit top gear.

Hirst won a penalty converted by Moorhouse, and the same played then finished coolly with a shot over the keeper after being put through by Hirst, who also added his second after two attempts by Ali Ross.

The game was not a great spectacle in the second half with a sending off for either side, but in and among the Huddersfield midfield of Courtney, Rogers and Presto led by Kelly produced some patches of brilliance and they should have converted more than the two chances they did, the first finished by Steve Durrans and the second a surging run and smashed shot from Kelly from the edge of the area.

Hull struck a late consolation, but it was a result which keeps Huddersfield in the title mix, and with a run of games against Halifax, Brigg and Wakefield, it will go a long way to deciding whether they can maintain those hopes.

Team: Howarth, Ross, Hannam, Peachey, Presto, Gregory, Kelly, Courtney, Durrans, Hirst, Rogers, Moorhouse.

Chapeltown III 3 Huddersfield VI 1

CURRENTLY bottom of the Yorkshire League’s Division VIII, Huddersfield found themselves 3-0 down at the break, after a deflection from a short corner and two soft goals.

But Huddersfield came out a different side in the second half and took the game to their high-scoring rivals, pulling one back with an excellent narrow angle goal from Ed Shimmel after a string of short corners.

Chapeltown were not prepared to sit back on their lead and were always a problem in attack, but a tight defence and some fine keeping from young Oli Durrant restricted the home side to their first half tally.

Huddersfield need to take their second half performance into this week’s derby against Syngenta.

Halifax & Calder 2 Lockwood Park Dragons II 2

A GAME against the bottom of Division I of the Yorkshire Women’s League should have seen Dragons build on their goals tally.

But in the end it was a struggle to take a solitary point from the game.

Liz Green opened the scoring for Lockwood following a lovely pass from Longstaff, and although the defence kept Halifax at bay, the visitors did sneak an equaliser just before half-time, courtesy of a deflection.

The second half was pretty even, with Monchuk playing well down the left with good work from Di Napoli in the middle, but it was Halifax who went ahead after the ball came off a Lockwood stick.

With 10 minutes remaining Green latched onto a pass from Sharpe to make it 2-2.

Team: Davidson, Di Napoli, Dunne, Parkin, Roberts, Smeaton, Sharpe, Monchuk, Longstaff, Green, Wallis, Stella.

Lockwood Park Dragons III 3 Halifax IV 0

SARAH WALTERS bagged a hat trick as Dragons’ third team were too good for visiting Halifax.

Both teams produced some good hockey, but Dragons were by far the stronger and opened the scoring in the first half when Walters latched on to an excellent pass from Becky Haigh.

Walters’ second came after the break from a penalty corner while the third was a superb individual effort when Walters flicked the ball over the sliding keeper into the top corner.

Vicky Carter was joined player of the match, along with Walters, for her solid defending at the back and confident distribution.

Team: McCallum, McEwan, Walters, Carter, Harris, Bates, Mallinson, Carr, haigh, Bland, Creedon, Lockwood.