Huddersfield come from behind to beat Stockport

Stockport once again let a half-time lead slip as Huddersfield scored two tries in eight second half minutes to help them on their way to a  26-11 win in National League 2 North.

Ben Marsland scored a try with George Smith kicking two penalties to put the visitors in front before Tom Hodson replied with a try of his own as Stockport led 11-5 at half-time.

But like so often this season, Stockport were unable to see the game out as tries from Tom Owen  and Elliot Knight at the start of the second half turned the game around for the hosts.

Stockport could not reduce the deficit as Huddersfield dominated the second period and Ben Hoyle crossed over under the posts to secure the win for Field.

Stockport coach Matthew Bebbington said: "We were 11-5 up at half-time and we created three or four try scoring opportunities and if we take those, that is probably 14 or 19 points we could have had in the first half.

"In the second half we came out with confidence, but unfortunately their try was a momentum killer straight away. If we had taken those chances it would’ve been 25 points to five and they would be chasing the game.

"It would’ve changed the mentality of them an also us, but because we didn’t get the first 30 seconds right, we didn’t see the ball much for the next 20 minutes and eventually you are going to fatigue and give penalties and territory away.

"Their turnaround was down to territory. The starting points for two of their tries were a scrum on our 22 and a lineout 10 meters out and we can only defend for so long. They weren’t scoring off first or second phases, they were scoring off seven or eight phases and they made the right choices and executed them a bit better than us."

Victory for Huddersfield sees them stay in a comfortable eighth position in the National Two North table while Port stay bottom and are yet to win away from home this season.

Stockport have been either ahead or very much still in the game at half-time on 13 occasions this season, but only once as their first half dominance been rewarded with a victory (that was against Huddersfield earlier this season) and the same old story was about to happen yet again.

Port made the brighter start with Marsland and winger Myles Hall combining well for the first break of the match and the Cheshire side were then aided as Huddersfield were reduced to 14 men inside eight minutes.

Captain Nick Sharpe was penalised for a high tackle on Elliot Fletcher and this led to Port’s try.
Stockport kicked for the corner and from the catch and drive at the lineout, it was Marsland who crossed over the whitewash to score.

Moments later Port added three more points to the score board via the boot of Smith as his side were controlling proceedings in all areas of the game at Lockwood Park.

From the restart, a Stockport mistake allowed Field to mount their first real attack of the match, but Stockport managed to hold firm and relieve the pressure.

The visitors then nearly scored their second try from a break from inside their own 22. Fletcher used his pace to evade two Huddersfield tackles, but after a series of offloads, Stockport were unable to take their chance as the ball was knocked on.

Smith extended his teams advantage as he pinged over another three points on 24 minutes for 0-11, but Huddersfield then got their first try of the afternoon from a series of Stockport errors.

After a couple of penalties conceded by Port, the ball found fly-half Joel Hinchliffe from the scrum and Hodson rounded off a slick Huddersfield move to cross the try line in the corner as the hosts stretched the Stockport defence.

Stockport felt they most certainly should have had try number two just before the break as hooker Ollie Longmore flicked a pass to Hall who darted through the Huddersfield defence, but the pass was adjudged to have been forward which was a very dubious call from referee Matt Turvey.

Port felt hard done by, but went into the second half full of confidence after an excellent first half display, but all that confidence was drained out of them just 90 seconds into the second period.

Huddersfield capitalised on another Stockport knock on and after good phase play by the hosts, Owen ghosted through the Stockport defence to score. Hinchliffe gave Field the led from the tee.

Field were making amends for a lacklustre first half performance and eight minutes later increased their led to eight points as Knight scored his try after a wonderful looping pass from centre Elliot Hogdson. Hinchliffe converted.

The hosts then kept the pressure on and pinned Stockport back in their own half for the majority of the second half, with Port starting to tire from their relentless defending.

Huddersfield’s dominance with the ball finally paid off just after the hour as from a lineout, the ball was spun out to the middle of the park and Hoyle dived under the posts. Hinchliffe kicked the conversion to put Field 26-11 ahead.

From there, Huddersfield just didn’t let Stockport create anything in the second half and managed to confine the game to the midfield and run the clock down to secure their 12th win of the season.

Stockport welcome second place Hull Ionians to Headlands Road next Saturday for one of their games in hand. Kick-Off is 2.15pm.

Huddersfield: Hodson; Rawsthorne, Hodgson, Owen,  Knight; Hinchcliffe, Jeffrey; Sharpe (capt), Hoyle, Malthouse; Rhodes, Thompson; Sanderson, Morrill, Battye
Replacements: Walker, Wood, Thornton, Clarke, Purcell

Tries:  Hodson, Owen, Knight, Hoyle
Cons: Hinchliffe (3)

Stockport: J Edwards; Fletcher, Platt-Hughes, Kaciubskyji, Hall;  Smith, Street;  S Green,  Marsland, K Hibbs; Waddington, Roddy; C Anthony, Longmore, Fuller (capt).
Replacements: Graham, Millea, C Hibbs, Barlow,  Batterbury.

Try: Marsland,
Pens: Smith (2)