More travel woe for Stourbridge

Saturday’s 32-31 defeat was the third on the bounce away from Stourton Park and left Neil Mitchell’s men sitting sixth in National Two North, though they could at least take solace in a return of two bonus points.

A sticky surface meant the visitors were immediately at a disadvantage but they did manage to score the first points of the match, courtesy of a Chris Scott penalty.

Huddersfield hit back with a Nick Sharpe try, set-up by good work from scrum-half Joel Hinchcliffe, before Nigel Mukarati became the first player to cross for the visitors.

That made the score 10-10, yet it was the hosts who were beginning to dominate territory.

Finally, a driving maul set up Liam Stapley to cross for a try which gave Huddersfield a seven-point half-time advantage.

It was a lead increased early in the second period when another rolling maul allowed home captain Richard Piper to touch down.

Stour were starting down the barrel at that point but the next half-an-hour turned out to be their strongest period of the afternoon as they began to control proceedings from the scrum.

Two converted tries saw the visitors come storming back into the match. The first came when a penalty lineout and quick hands allowed Afe Haisila to use his speed down the flanks. When Jack Lea crossed for Stour’s third try of the afternoon, they looked favourites to go on and take victory.

But Kian Stewart then scored to give the hosts an eight-point lead and though Stour did reduce the deficit with a last-gasp penalty try, there was no time to get the winner.

Stour are back in action this Saturday when they host fourth-placed Tynedale.