By Richard Sykes

Huddersfield RUFC’s winning run came to a shuddering halt on their long road trip to Alnwick.

After four good wins on the bounce they came unstuck in Northumberland and gifted the bottom club a 32-16 victory, their first of the season.

A try by hooker Ethan Myers gave the visitors a slim lead early on but they were outmatched in desire and execution by Alnwick.

The home side gradually drew ahead as the game progressed, scoring two tries in each half. Billy Hammond scored a second try for Huddersfield late in the game but with victory looking unlikely it proved a mere consolation.

Field had their share of possession and scrummaged well. They took clean ball from their lineouts and ran purposefully in attack but Alnwick were in uncompromising mood and mounted a determined defence throughout the match.

Honours were even at the end of the first half hour with each team notching a penalty and scoring a try.

Scrum-half Jim Blackett opened Alnwick’s account with a penalty but Field then took the lead with the first try of the game.

Having drawn a penalty at a scrum Field kicked for touch. Myers then peeled out of the maul that came from the lineout and touched down.

Fly-half Will Milner missed the conversion but made amends with a long range penalty kick shortly after Alnwick’s first try.

This was scored by Sam Eastham who raced home down the left wing having found himself in space on the overlap. Blackett missed the conversion but made no mistake with his next attempt which followed a try he scored himself.

Blackett’s try scoring chance came from quick ruck ball close to the Field tryline, the scrum-half spotting a gap and nipping nimbly through it to help his earn his team a 15-8 half time lead.

Field fans hoping for a bounce back after the break were left disappointed as Alnwick continued to play in determined fashion.

Alex Robson extended their lead with a third try. Having received the ball in midfield from a lineout the centre broke clear before neatly changing direction to wrong foot the defence. Blackett’s conversion extended the lead to 14 points.

Midway through the second half the visitors produced a bit of a comeback and scored their second try. From a scrum 10 metres away from the Alnwick try line No8 Hammond picked up and powered over.

Although Milner missed the conversion attempt, he landed another long range penalty minutes later to bring the visitors within a single score.

With the game in its final throes Alnwick had the scent of victory in their nostrils and were in no mood to let up.

Blackett landed a penalty from the 10 metre line when Field were pulled up for a high tackle and Eastham then wrapped up the win with the bonus point try. The conversion by Blackett rounded off a red letter day for the ‘Blues.’

Huddersfield took a sizeable following to Alnwick. At the end of the game pack leader Callum Thompson thanked them for their support.

“Alnwick defended very well,” he said. “We were impatient in attack and didn’t attack in the right areas. We lost possession and they scored on the counter.

“Our supporters have travelled a long way today. Hopefully we will be able to put it right for them at Driffield next week.”

The defeat at Alnwick means Field drop from third to fifth place in the table. Driffield are three places below them.

Huddersfield: Hawkyard; Stewart F; Workman; Barber; Stewart K; Milner; Walker; Thompson; Moore; Sanderson; Dalton; Barnard; Parfitt; Christian; Hammond. Replacements: Myers; Patterson; Horsfall.

Image by: RAY MORRIS