It wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t clever.

And Huddersfield got everything they deserved from their home clash against National II North strugglers Birmingham & Solihull – absolutely nothing.

After last week’s unlucky loss at in-form Sedgley Park and the battling home draw against title challengers Ampthill the week before, hopes were high that a return to winning ways would be achieved within comfort against the men from the Midlands.

But after a wholly frustrating and unmemorable 80 minutes, Huddersfield were left to reflect on a 22-14 defeat, which was really of their own making.

The opening exchanges suggested this would be a contest to cause few headaches, with Nick Sharpe’s close-range effort, converted by Joel Hinchliffe, after 10 minutes the least the hosts deserved.

Unfortunately, that was as good as it got for Huddersfield, who then went on to craft their own downfall, with basic errors and poor decision-making costing them the game.

After their bright opening, they conceded two tries from Dai Evans and Rob Connolly – both converted by Adam Canning – and also lost fly-half Chris Bell to a leg injury.

Even when Huddersfield levelled at 14-14 in the 25th minute when Nick Rawsthorne latched onto Elliot Hodgson’s kick to the corner to finish strongly and Hinchliffe converted from the touchline, it never really felt as if it would prove a game-swinger.

Instead, the visitors were soon back in the ascendancy and regaining the lead five minutes later with another close-range score from Chris Goddard.

That made it 19-14 at the break, although the sin-binning of props Nick Bingham and Simon Gardiner for two professional fouls in the last two minutes of the half looked to have given Huddersfield the perfect opportunity to take the second period by the scruff of the neck – but that never materialised.

The home side failed to make the most of the two-man advantage and uncontested scrums as a result of the front-rowers taking their 10-minute breathers.

Instead of attempting to play wide and stretch their depleted foe, they continued to find themselves bogged down in the middle.

Birmingham probably couldn’t believe their luck.

Having easily coped with just 13 men on the field, their confidence grew and when Canning slotted over a 65th-minute penalty to take his side two scores ahead, there was always a feeling this could be game over.

Had Hinchliffe been on target with a penalty effort of his own three minutes later, it could have been a different story.

Whether Huddersfield would have deserved a different final outcome is another matter.

Huddersfield: Rawsthorne; Hodgson, Martin, Owen, Clarke; Bell, Hinchliffe; Battye, Walker, Sanderson, Thompson, Rhodes, Malthouse, Hoyle, Sharpe. Subs: Brown, Jeffrey, Lewis, Thornton, Purcell.

Birmingham & Solihull: Oliver; Evans, Johns, Connolly, Smith; Canning, Petty; Bingham, Crane, Koziot, Gregg, Goddard, Stephens, Scriven, Leach. Subs: Gardiner, Randall, Dacres, Giles, Jolly.

Referee: Will Halford (Durham).

Huddersfield YMCA lost narrowly 36-34 at Billingham in National III North – full report in tomorrow’s Examiner Sport.