A SHAMEFUL performance from Huddersfield gave caretaker coaches Mick Murphy and Mick Blacker a slap in the face, with a 16-12 home defeat by Bramley all but killing off any hopes of the Fartowners finishing in the top eight.

Some of the players – perhaps the majority – seemed to have no interest in the game and the result was a performance of total disarray.

If most of the 898 spectators – the lowest crowd of the season for Huddersfield – were nervous it was because of the doubt of the outcome.

The Fartowners almost stole it thanks to a Wally Gibson-inspired comeback, but not many supporters will be able to forgive the abysmal first half showing smacking the dark, depressing days of 1988.

Murphy, who managed to put on a brave face admitted: “A lot of their minds weren’t on the game.

“We had our usual bad start and dropped some bad balls. It started to come in the second half, but we panicked as we got nearer the line”.

Man-of-the-Match Gibson, home debutant Andy Bannister and Mr Consistency Phil Huck, were the only ones to come out of the game with some credibility still intact.

Bramley, with four big runners, were able to dominate the first half to such an extent, that the game was played entirely in the Fartown half.

Shocking tackling allowed second rower, Calvin Hopkins to romp over for a try after only seven minutes, and again the defence was caught in no-mans land on 32 minutes when Ronnie Sharp went over adding the second.

Huddersfield rarely threatened in the first half, but pulled points back in injury time when a penalty was converted by Simon Kenworthy after a supporting break by Gibson was obstructed.

A half time pep-talk seemed to breathe a bit of life into the side, as Gibson dragged the Fartowners in with a shout with a superb solo effort on 52 minutes, his 16th try of the season.

That made the score 8-12, a notable recovery from 0-12, but further lapses in discipline allowed Carroll to finally find his goal-kicking form to put over two penalties, and Bramley took an eight point lead.

The Leeds club were somewhat unfortunate to have Sharpe sent off for a high tackle on Alan Boothroyd after 63 minutes, but the man disadvantage didn’t seem to affect them, although the Huddersfield pressure intensified in the last quarter of the game.

Gibson pounced again minutes from the end. With a quick pass, he put through Shuttleworth, who scored his first try for the club.

With Kenworthy off the field for most of the second half with a bloody nose, Gibson and Peter Subritzky took over the kicking duty, but neither managed to find the target from the touchline.

Huddersfield: Gibson; Jowett, Edwards, Bannister, St Hilaire; Subritzky, Shuttleworth; Siddall, Huck, Simpson, Dickinson, Boothroyd, Kenworthy (Wardle). Subs (not used): Robinson.