Two second half penalties from Chris Bell were just enough to give Huddersfield RU a 16-10 win on the Wirral.

Wirral took a 7-3 lead in to the break as the Field struggled to create any scoring opportunities, but Austen Thompson’s try a minute into the second half paved way for Gareth Lewis’ side to get their eighth league win in a row and maintain their 100 per cent start to the season.

Wirral were first to offer a real threat and got the first score when Chris Burrows broke through and beat Huddersfield full-back Lewis Workman to score and Jimmy Annetts added the conversion.

The home side could have gone further ahead had Annetts added a penalty, but he missed the target.

With Elliot Hodgson leaving the field due to illness the half-time whistle couldn’t have come quick enough for the visitors, but Bell did score a penalty to put Huddersfield on the scoreboard.

Adam Tamanis was next to leave the match with illness, but coach Lewis’ half-time talk hit home with the players left on the pitch.

He brought on Reuben Pollard and Ben Hoyle and within a minute of the start of the second half Thompson went under the sticks and Bell added the extras.

However, Annetts scored a penalty to make it 10-10 with 20 minutes remaining.

Wirral looked more likely to steal a win until Huddersfield were awarded a penalty for offside and Bell added a crucial three points.

A further Bell penalty with 10 minutes left Field to protect a slender six-point lead that proved sufficient in the end.

“I’m quite relieved. We weren’t at our best and I sensed that in the warm-up,” said Lewis.

“These are the sort of challenges we’re going to face over the course of the season.

“In many ways, we can use this as a positive, it will keep us honest and on our toes and make sure that we train hard this week.”

“It is good to win ugly sometimes. You can’t be racking up 50 or 60 points every week because it’s a hard league.

“I said at the start of the season you must respect the league. Wirral finished second last year and have beaten good sides and you could see why.”

“There were a few well chosen words at half-time but it needed to be said.

“The first half performance wasn’t good enough but in fairness they came out of the blocks.

“It was great play from Austen and Ben interchanging in passes and going under the posts is exactly the way you should start.”