Stourbridge 12, Huddersfield 24

STOURBRIDGE Director of Rugby Neil Mitchell used his programme notes to describe this contest as a must win match, writes Nick Pullen.

Following defeats to Luctonians and Leicester Lions, Stour were desperate to stop the rot. But Huddersfield, who started the game below Stour in the league table, already had an error strewn victory against Mitchell's to their credit in West Yorkshire early in the season, so Stourton Park held no fears for them.

For once, Stour were able to field a fairly reasonably strong side, in the light of their many injury woes and could welcome back Caolan Ryan at full back for another loan spell from Moseley, while former Stourbridge Lion prop James Owen was included in the squad for the first time.

Huddersfield kicked themselves into an early lead through fly half Chris Bell's penalty.

But Stour made the most of their opportunities and soon built a 12-3 lead.

They flung the ball wide after winning ruck ball for right wing Nathan Bressington to score after 12 minutes.

Then Stour capitalised on a bit of luck when the ball rolled out sideways from a Huddersfield rolling maul and alert scrum half Jacob Nash pounced on possession and sprinted 30 yards to score with Ryan slotting over the following conversion.

It was looking good at this stage for Stour, but Huddersfield hit back with a try of their own on the stroke of half time.

A clever kick ahead from Bell resulted with a five metre scrum, from which No.8 Nick Sharpe broke from the base and sent the ball spinning down the line for full back Elliot Hodgson to score with a loop movement which Bell duly converted to make the half time score 12-10 in Stour's favour.

The second half was nothing short of a disaster for Stour as Huddersfield took control.

They regained the lead on 49 minutes when replacement Ben Morrill capitalised on some feeble tackling attempts to run past several Stour players to score underneath the posts for Bell to convert and put the Yorkshiremen 17-12 ahead.

Huddersfield pinned Stour back inside their own 22 for most of the final quarter.

Stour's defence was breached on no less than three occasions, but every time referee David Clarkson spotted an infringement and ruled the try out.

However, Huddersfield did add a third try with the final move of the match, right wing David Hall scoring on the overlap, for Bell to convert with a long range kick.

It signalled a third straight defeat for Stour, which in truth they never looked like winning , the longer the game went on.

Stourbridge: Ryan; Bressington, Shillingford, Dipple, Cooksammy; Higgins, Nash; Sturdy, Page, George; Moore, Hurrell; Mukarati, Uzoigwe, Harper. replacements: Tuipulotu, Depper, Owen, Murphy, Cullen.