THIS was definitely a match that both players and spectators alike will want to forget in a hurry!

Huddersfield produced probably their most disjointed performance of the season.

Indecisive and lacking in leadership, they struggled in almost every department and the coaching staff will have their work cut out as they try to prepare the squad for next week’s visit of League-leaders Macclesfield.

The pack were completely out-muscled in the set-piece, being pushed all over Brantingham Park, and that meant scrum half Joel Hinchliffe and the backs were living off scraps of possession, and when they did get the ball, they found they had little time or space to execute anything worthwhile.

In that respect their cause wasn’t helped by the referee’s failure to make Ionians stay on-side throughout the game, yet he managed to sin-bin Huddersfield’s second rower Ben Harris for the same offence late in the first half.

The visitors were also hampered by the loss of prop Tony Stringwell before the game, while replacement Jack McPhail went off injured at the end of the first half, although it is unlikely the result would have been affected.

The casual observer could have been forgiven for thinking the roles were reversed and that Hull Ionians were near the top of the division and Huddersfield the strugglers.

Ionians’ fly-half James Ferguson missed an easy early chance to give his side the lead with a fourth-minutes penalty, while Huddersfield’s No10 Chris Johnson converted his first chance when the forwards linked well in the loose to drive into Hull’s22.

Ferguson levelled after 14 minutes, however, although he needed a kindly bounce off the upright, again from close range.

The two fly-halves swapped further penalties as whistle-happy ref Rob Sheard racked up the tally, but Hull then took a decisive lead as their continual pressure by the forwards paid off.

After several punishing drives, Ferguson spotted a gap and, aided by poor tackling, cut through and off-loaded to centre Luke Thundercliffe who sped under the posts.

And five minutes later they were virtually away and gone, after Huddersfield’s under-siege defence collapsed again, this time letting in former Halifax star Oli Marns, and with two successful conversions Ionians went in at the break 20-6 ahead.

Huddersfield coach Mark Sowerby rung the changes in the second half, sending on Damian Clayton for Hinchliffe and Alex Battye for the limping McPhail, but it made no difference to the direction the game was taking.

Ferguson knocked over a penalty from the re-start and then after a series of surges and being held up on the line, the home side were awarded a penalty try which Ferguson again converted to put his side out of sight.

Skipper Mark Whitehead replaced Nick Sharpe at flanker and instilled some sense of urgency, and it was through his quick tapped penalty to himself that Huddersfield finally made some progress, as he set off on the burst, brought his backs into play, and when the ball fell loose, left winger Matt Clarke picked up and shrugged off a couple of tackles on the way to the line.

In the closing stages Clarke threatened to score again after another great run down the sideline, only to be bundled into touch by the covering Marns to leave the visitors well adrift and with plenty to think about over the coming days.

Hull Ionians: Smith; Nixon, Greene, Thundercliffe, Marns; Ferguson, Bartless; Starling, Mortimer, Wilson, Hill, Kench, Wigham (R), Wigham (M), Hague.

Huddersfield Van Vuuren; Ryder, Paxman (B ), Paxman (L), Clarke, Johnson; Hinchliffe (Clayton 40); Slater, Davies (Entressengle 70), McPhail (Battye 40), Harris, Rhodes, Lewis (Hinchliffe 60), Sharpe (Whitehead 55), Hyde.

Referee: Rob Sheard (RFU).