‘Fantastic’ Dale hold nerve to sink Field
THREE first-half tries – from Ralph Johnson, Jay West and Will Miller – helped Tynedale put their losing streak behind them to claim a richly-deserved win on the road in West Yorkshire.
In difficult conditions, the visitors dominated the first period and, with a 14-point advantage, they dug in after the break, denying Huddersfield any route back.
The achievement was not lost on delighted Tynedale head coach Ben Woods, who said: “Everyone had written us off after the last two results, but the players really came together and I couldn’t have asked for any more than they gave.”
Referring to the adverse weather at Lockwood Park, he said: “I was surprised the game went ahead. The pitch wasn’t great and the rain didn’t stop, but our boys were fantastic, especially in the first half, where we dominated the set-pieces.
“We knew they would get some momentum back at some stage, but we didn’t let them get near us in the second half, when they must have played 90 per cent in our half.”
The visitors got off to a flyer, with a try in the opening minutes. A textbook catch-and-drive saw prop Johnson peel from the maul and force his way over. Jake Rogers added the extras.
Field hit straight back when Adam Brook’s chip through wasn’t dealt with, the ball squirting off the surface for centre Lewis Workman to gather and cross to reduce the deficit to two points.
The visitors, playing the conditions to their advantage, went further ahead after sustained pressure just before the half-hour mark. Field winger Kian Stewart spilled a swirling ball, which was claimed by West, who forced his way over on the right.
Minutes later, Tynedale took further control. Miller defied the conditions, shimmying his way through the Huddersfield defensive line. The centre’s converted try took the score to 19-5.
After the break, the hosts began to assert themselves, but were unable to convert territorial advantage into points.
Tynedale remained rock-solid in defence, but going into the final quarter, Stewart thought he had made the breakthrough. The wingman out-stripped his opposite number, only to be brought back for a previous knock-on.
The hosts produced a final onslaught with a spell of intense pressure on the Tynedale try line, which was absorbed.
Huddersfield head coach Gareth Lewis said: “I’m incredibly disappointed. They were tough conditions out there, but it was tough conditions for both sides. Tynedale managed the game better than we did. They fought hard and got the better of the contest. The result was a fair reflection of the game really.”