Preston Grasshoppers 70-19 Huddersfield
A ruthless Preston Grasshoppers blew away a sorry Huddersfield 70-19 at Lightfoot Green with Hoppers’ fly-half Will Hunt flawless from the kicking tee.
Field are all but consigned to relegation after a challenging campaign, while the hosts looked to make up for a dismal performance at Otley last time out.
Hoppers touched down three times in the first 20 minutes through Joe Harrison, Scott Richardson and Jacob Browne.
The visitors responded when Alex Dawson scored from a maul, but Preston surged into form with Rob Willetts, Hunt and Harry Holden getting on the score sheet, while Browne got a second to make it 49-7 at the break.
Huddersfield started the second half strongly, and outside centre Alex Nash showed his strength to touch down.
Harvey May’s fantastic finish cutting in from the touchline took Hoppers over the 50-point mark, and Ally Murray rolled back the years to burst through the defence to score.
The basement side did not give up, and Paul Harrison scored in the right-hand corner to give the travelling support a brief moment of positivity.
Captain Richardson finished off the rout with his second of the afternoon to compound the visitors’ misery and ease Hoppers’ relegation fears.
Hoppers Head Coach Alex Keay was satisfied with the improved performance, he said: “Good things come to people who wait.
“First half was definitely good, it was how we have wanted to play like but we connected everything, so positive.
“It take a really good side to turn 49 into 98 but that’s what we should be aspiring to.”
Report by Ben Pitkeathly, pictures by Mike Craig
