In an error-strewn contest they at times looked in danger of losing Stour only clawed a narrow lead very late in the game, then closed it out with a great solo try by scrum half Toby Handley.

Stour tapped & ran an early penalty award but the ball was lost in contact just short of the visitors’ tryline and hoofed deep into Stour’s vacant backfield, Ash Elvers having to track across to just deny Huddersfield’s fullback Tom Hodson’s chase. Both sides looked to move the ball, Stour running from their goal line but catching a cold when a ball carrier got isolated, the visitors’ centre Chris Bell landing a penalty.

Stour coughed up possession again straight from the restart and found themselves defending a lineout deep in their 22. They repelled a set of forward drives, drawing a chip over the defensive line by Bell that was gathered by 2nd row Nick Rhodes whose significant height advantage held off Handley’s challenge. 8min 0-10.

Two big drives up the midfield by flanker Nigel Mukarati were negated when spilt ball lead to a penalty concession in front of the Stour posts, but Bell’s touch deserted him and the kick flew wide. A neat piece of work by flanker Joe Carpenter secured a turnover that put Handley clear down the right flank, the ball was worked through phases to outside half Chris Scott who found a half-gap to put Mukarati in under the posts. 17min 7-10.

Stour were again penalised in the tackle, giving Bell a more difficult kick at goal that he converted from almost 40m out. 20min 7-13. Both sides continued to press attacks but neither was able to mount any sustained pressure as possession was frequently turned over. The visitors eventually worked Rhodes through a gap, Stour conceding a penalty for killing the ball in their 22 that drew a warning from referee Ben Davis and a further 3 points for Bell. 31min 7-16.

A promising break by Elvers reached Huddersfield’s 22 but his attempted offload just went loose as the defence closed in. Winger Nathan Bressington had the next opportunity but was just unable to gather his chip ahead near the visitors’ tryline and the half fizzled out.

Stour started purposefully from the restart, securing a kickable penalty and indicating intent by kicking to the corner. The visitors declined to contest a maul though and Stour had to move it wide where a runner got held up and scrum feed went to the visitors. Scrum half Dan Jeffrey spotted a chink in Stour’s fringe defence and hared through, linking with winger Elliot Fletcher who reached the Stour 22 before the cover hauled him down. Stour recovered possession, another attack drawing a kickable penalty that Scott knocked over, 53min 10-16.

Stef Thorp announced his arrival with a thumping tackle, and a lineout steal set up a kick chase by Bressington that the visitors just scrambled to touch. But Stour executed a short range catch & drive, working the ball to Handley who drove over in the corner. Scott slotted an excellent wide conversion and Stour at last had their noses in front. 62min 17-16.

An obstruction saw Bell’s penalty kick reclaim the lead, but an excellent take by winger Josh Trinham off the restart launched a Stour attack that drew a penalty award that Scott knocked over to set up a tense finish. 68min 20-19.

With their bench subs on Stour attacked, Billy Harding’s drive off a maul just held up in goal but the attack stalled with a knock-on. Huddersfield continued to attack but the Stour defences held them, and with time almost up lineout ball near halfway was worked to Handley who broke a tackle, chipped the defender, regathered and just held off the chase to score an outstanding solo try in the corner. Full time 25-19.

Next week Feb 20th Stour host South Leicester. They will be looking to avenge a single-point reversal in a high-scoring game back in November. 3pm ko.