Readers last week will remember my comments about having the perfect tag line snatched away with just minutes left on the clock. However, this week’s game was never going to have a similar dilemma or easy alliteration, simply with the complexities around a club with this proud town’s name in it!

There are so many things to enjoy about visiting Lockwood Park. It is an old brewery site. There is the fabulous view of the 36 arch Lockwood Viaduct which opened in 1850 after four years in the making and, tragically seeing 4 fatalities. The committee and players are very welcoming. The supporters are fiercely loyal and extremely vocal. The weather is always temperate…

Notwithstanding heavy traffic and some snow showers over the moors, the journey was fairly uneventful but the rain and heavy conditions were never going to make for an open, running style of play. Indeed, it was our hosts who took full “home” advantage and dominated the first quarter’s play both in terms of possession and territory. The only time we raided the host’s half was from the kick off! The penalty count against Stour started to mount up early and the visitors needed resolute defence having conceded five early infringements meaning almost consecutive lineouts inside their own “22”. The penalties included not rolling away, collapsing the scrum, offside and not releasing in the tackle. At this stage, praise needs to go to Nigel Mukarati as well as debutante Callum Bowden who, at one stage was making a tackle every ten seconds.

The first real opportunity came after “The Field” conceded a penalty. Stour had a lineout on the 5m line in the right corner. This was followed by another throw and eventually a scrum. Putting the earlier set piece frailty aside, this was to be the turning point in the game and the hosts were lucky not to concede a penalty try. However, referee Andrew Wigley pulled out his Yellow Card sending open side flanker Lewis Bradley for 10 minutes rest. This gave numerical advantage to Stour and a push over try, the first for Sam Pailor, with Chris Scott adding the extras from 35 m and the “wrong side” for his right boot! 29 minutes gone and, to the surprise of most in attendance, Stour had taken the lead after minimal ball possession.

Huddersfield were unlucky not to score over the coming ten minutes. Their kicking game was intelligent given the conditions, kicking behind our defence and making players turn and chase backwards. Josh Trinham made one excellent try saving cover tackle but with 40 minutes on the clock, the home pressure was too much and the visitors conceded a penalty against an “off the feet” defender. Realising that the Stour defence was holding up, “The Field” opted for a simple penalty kick for No 10 Harry Davey, closing the gap to 3 – 7 and a ten minutes rest.

The hosts then kicked off the second half, immediately winning back the ball but unable to capitalise. A Stourbridge counter initiated by George Morgan but involving cousin, Hal Riley, Joe Heatley and Dan Rundle immediately nullified this. Unfortunately, play broke down but Stour dominated the ensuing scrum. In an almost mirror image of the first half, Huddersfield conceded three scrum penalties. Once again, referee Wigley pulled out his Yellow card sending a Field front row to the bin yet also ignoring any possibility of a Penalty Try. With just 7 minutes of the second half whistle, Stour No 8 Pailor controlled the scrum ball and powered over. Scott hit the conversion and gave a 3 – 14 advantage.

Not a side to “roll over” it only took “The Field” four minutes to hit back, again through the boot of Davey with an opportunistic drop goal following some sustained attacking by forwards and backs.

Stour were not helping their own cause conceding metres with direct touch clearances from outside their 22 as well as the occasional penalty. On 60 minutes, anther penalty gave Huddersfield a lineout 5m from their visitor’s try line. Enter Llyr Griffiths whose lineout steal gave Stour a platform to their next score. Following a scrum on half way, Stourbridge attacked through another Heatley/Trinham/Rundle collaboration and Jack “Bowling Ball” Lea was just held up at the end of the move. This was the chance that Sam Pailor was waiting for and his hat trick was completed on the 64 minutes mark. Inevitably, this was from the base of an ever-ascendant scrum and Scott completed the symmetry with his third success of the afternoon.

Again, Stour failed to capitalise from the restart, knocking on the kick. It wasn’t until minute 71 before the Bonus Point and game were secured. Industrious Nick Murphy opened up play following a lineout misunderstanding and he fed out to Joe Heatley. Dan Rundle then out paced and out manoeuvred several defenders from some 20 metres out to score his third try in two games. The conversion was short and wide but Stourbridge could now relax confident that Huddersfield were unlikely to score 20 + points in the next nine minutes!

No such thoughts appeared in the Huddersfield heads particularly after Stour were pinged for an alleged high tackle. The quick tap penalty caught them on the hop and several forays led to replacement Nick Sharpe crashing through giving Davey his eight point tally.

Stourbridge nearly scored in the dying moments of the game winning a scrum penalty in front of the posts. However, tired legs, cold hands and eighty minutes of sticky conditions got the better of them and everyone was pleased to hear the shrill blast of the final whistle. Man of the Match goes to Sam Pailor but credit must also go to a strong debut performance by Callum Bowden supporting Nigel Mukarati and alongside the Murphy/Griffiths engine room. Praise and thanks to the handful of loyal supporters who made the long trek

The result sees Huddersfield remain in 6th place but Stour move up to third spot just 2 points behind second place Hinckley and a game in hand. Next week, Stourbridge are at home to Leicester Lions who are in 9th place with just 8 wins and 46 points. This is another “must win” game for Stour but will not be an easy fixture as we know they are a strong and determined opposition, including the try machine Devon Constant with 14 scores to his name in the current campaign.

There are some injury concerns including Chris Scott (arm) Ben Tibbetts (ankle), Chad Thorne (leg) and Sam Pailor (leg) so the back room team will have a busy week ahead. Selection choices will also be interesting given a good overall team performance but, no matter what, we are in for a thrilling final third to the season.

Thanks to Paul Davidson for the photo!