Huddersfield YMCA came away with a much needed 20-8 win in a scrappy National III North encounter against a Billingham side above them in the league.

From the off YMCA were into the opposition territory and looking to build some early momentum.

Good work going forward saw the ball being well recycled and possession being retained by the home side with no obvious early mistakes.

The pressure was quick to tell and after six minutes Gavin Stead had points on the board from a penalty given when Billingham were adjudged offside.

The home side looked in the right frame of mind for the challenge and the forwards were soon proving too much of a handful for the opposition, resulting in the visitors pack being shunted around the park.

After a number of re-set scrums the referee lost patience and singled out Billingham hooker Sean Wallace for a yellow card after repeatedly slipping his binding and standing up in the scrum as the pressure came on.

YMCA elected to take the scrum again from the penalty and the ball was well won and out to Simon Wilson who provided the deftest of touches with a superb inside ball to find Ed Barber coming in at a perfect angle to carve through the defence and score a try close to the posts, leaving Stead with the easiest of conversions.

A lot of time was spent in midfield with neither side able to press home any significant advantage and the weather conditions were not helpful as both sides were guilty of committing unforced handling errors.

Billingham regrouped and managed to find some field position of their own and were awarded a penalty when the YM were caught offside and full-back Peter Evans got them on the scoreboard with a well struck effort.

The home side were quickly back in the driving seat when Billingham were again penalised this time for holding on to the ball in the tackle allowing Stead the opportunity to re-establish his sides 10 point lead at half-time.

From the restart YMCA were back on the attack and a scintillating passage of play saw the ball well won by the forwards and then moved through the backs resulting in a slick one two between Stead and Adam Ryder allowing the latter to scorch over the line to extend the YM lead once again – Stead added the extras.

Billingham came back into the game and spent some time in the YMCA half but solid defence and hard graft by the forwards kept them at bay, however as the game drew to a close YMCA’s indiscipline almost cost them dearly as first Jack Housley, then Wilson and finally Mark Whitehead were all sin-binned leaving the YM to finish the game with just 12 men.

They continued to defend well, however the extra numbers gave Billingham the advantage they needed allowing space for their scrum half Dave Finney to get over in the corner for a consolation try which Evans was unable to convert.

Huddersfield YMCA: Fletcher; Stead, Bulloch, Barber, Ryder; Wood, Wilson; Slater, Hill, Moore, Housley, Bell, Whitehead, Hodge, Lumb. Interchange (all used); Watson, Dyke, Clarke