James Purcell was sent off to pile on the agony for Huddersfield Rugby Union Club as they went down 29-13 to lowly Luctonians in National II North.

Gareth Lewis’s side seemed the stronger, but they could not make their hosts pay and ended up coughing up points at the other end.

It means Huddersfield have work to do, because having lost to a side in the bottom reaches, they now face two tough tests against sides near the top – starting against Sandal at Lockwood Park on Saturday.

Huddersfield started well at Mortimer Park against a side without a point from their first three outings, putting Luctonians under pressure from the off.

Lewis’s side were well on top for the first 15 minutes, with Huddersfield’s forwards driving the home side back, and Chris Bell put them ahead with a penalty of seven minutes – the home side punished for infringing at a ruck.

Adam Malthouse was then punished for holding on as another promising attack came to nothing, but Huddersfield still seemed as though they would extend their lead from a five-metre scrum when the ball was worked down the line, but centre Will Hodnett intercepted and went the full length of the pitch to score at the oteh end. Geraint Langdon converted.

It got worse for Huddersfield just two minutes later as they tried to break from their 10m line but were pulled up for a forward pass. From the scrum Hodnett broke through the vacant narrow inside channel and supporting Joe Doyle was put in for a neat try. Again Langdon converted to make it 14-3.

Seconds later, Langdon missed chance to increase lead when Gypsy Black and Lewis Workman were penalised on the 22 for hanging on to the ball when tackled, while Austin Thompson followed a line-breaking run by Tom Owen to good effect, but Luctonians were able to clear following slow ball release by the visitors.

Bell recuced the arrears with a penalty on 26 minutes, with Huddersfield enjoying the upper hand in the scrummages, but Luctonians went over again on 32 minutes through flanker Dan Smith in the left corner, following an initial break by scrum half Sam Boxhall.

In the final minutes of the half Huddersfield pressed with two five-metre line-outs following penalties, but possession was lost each time and the home side held a 19-6 half-time lead.

Huddersfield started the second half strongly, putting Luctonians under pressure with a series of scrums. Winger Frank Kelly was sin-binned for technical fouls at the ruck, but despite a good 10 minutes from Huddersfield they couldn’t get any points.

Field were then pushed back into their own half and, after Ben Hoyle and Nick Rhodes were sin-binned in quick succession following some defensive indiscipline, their side also lost the services of Thompson through injury.

Not surprisingly, three minutes later, Smith secured Luctonians’ attacking bonus point with their fourth try following a good maul from a line-out after Huddersfield had conceded a penalty on their 10m line, converted by Langdon (26-6).

Huddersfield squandered a great chance for a try on 59 minutes when Henry Walker made a strong break and off-loaded to Dan Jeffrey who seemed to have the line at his mercy, but he tried to pass to his outside runner and Luctonians were able to defend.

Another Langdon penalty made it 29-6 on 62 minutes and it got worse when Purcell marched five minutes later, following an altercation right under the nose of a touch judge.

Seven minutes from time, however, an excellent break and off-load by Nick Sharpe at a line-out put Rhodes in for a try which Bell converted to make the final score 29-13, although a fine late break by Owen was halted only by a superb tackle.