Broadstreet 22Huddersfield RU 26

(National II North)

DESPITE the importance of this relegation clash, Huddersfield did not start well and were reliant on a try five minutes from time by Adam Sutcliffe to overhaul a resilient Broadstreet team.

Huddersfield struggled to find the form which destroyed Kendal the week before, and found themselves 7-0 down after just six minutes when Broadstreet prop Ben Dawes crashed over and Dan Richards added the conversion.

The setback stung Huddersfield into life and they responded when winger Donovan van Vuuren beat the cover to score his side’s opening try and Chris Johnson levelled with the conversion.

But instead of pushing on Huddersfield failed to find any fluidity and were soon behind again when Richards added a penalty midway through the half, and they were even further back when Broadstreet centre Gary Challis went in unopposed to put the Coventry side 15-7 up at the half.

Huddersfield sharpened their act after the break and quickly narrowed the gap when Nick Sharpe broke clear to score from close range, and Johnson’sconversion made it a one-point game.

And on 66 minutes, the visitors took the lead when skipper Mark Whitehead scythed through Broadstreet’s defence to notch his 11th try of the season, Johnson again tacking on the extras for a 21-15 lead.

The home side were not prepared to lay down and die, however, and after holding the lead for just two minutes, Field found themselves staring at defeat again when Broadstreet scrum half Toby Handley scooted through a gap to go under the sticks. Richards’ conversion put Broadstreet back in front 22-21.

Huddersfield however, were not going to be denied and began to put pressure on the home defence which eventually cracked, when from a scrum, the ball was worked across field and winger Sutcliffe scored out wide to seal the victory.

Although still not totally safe, Huddersfield are now 12th in the table, four points ahead of Hull Ionians and six clear of Broadstreet, with still a game in hand over both.

Next up for Huddersfield are bottom of the table Waterloo at Lockwood Park next Saturday.