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.

A 45-yard penalty from brother Chris restored Field’s lead just before the break, but it was clear they were likely to struggle against the wind in the second half.

A Boden penalty put Lions 8-6 ahead, and then came the first of Mr Towers’ ‘gifts,’ when he sin-binned Nick Sharpe and then hastily awarded the visitors a penalty try under the sticks.

On the hour mark he awarded Leicester a penalty (which should have been a line-out) and a quick tap caught Field’s defence napping allowing flanker Mark Halgate to score after another probing run from Collins.

And to cap it off, substitute forward Jeremy Saxon was given the nod for a pushover try when he clearly didn’t touch the ball down!

Two of the three were converted by Boden, and it was game over.

The only bright spark of the afternoon came from Clarke who underlined his growing potential with a deserved try in the closing stages, when he burst through the Lions’ defence. Johnson added the extras.

Huddersfield: Paxman (B), Shaw, Clarke, Paxman (L), Johnson (M); Johnson (C), Hinchliffe; McPhail (Slater 70), Davies (Gough 70) Stringwell, Harris, Rhodes, Jacobsz (Hinchliff 59), Whitehead, Sharpe. Subs not used: Sharrock, Van Rooyen.

Leicester Lions: Boden; Purdy, Peacock, Cross, Collins; Boshoff, Wright; Moore, Williamson, Murray, Bennett, Solomon, Woodkin, Halgate, Fagalio. Subs: Holmes, Ager, Saxon, Fraiser, Roberts.

Referee: Lee Towers (Northampton).