Lions suffer another good hiding

Jack Lewis scores a try for the Lions. Picture: Mick Sutterby

The bottom club in National League Two North entertained high-flyers Huddersfield at Solstice Park, Bretton, and were well and truly thumped 43-14.

For the boys from West Yorkshire it was a sixth success on the trot. For the tame Lions it was another drubbing, coming a week after a 47-7 defeat up at Fylde.

“Today we simply weren’t good enough and lost to a much better side,” said disappointed Lions chairman Andy Moore.

Allen Carr (left) and Shaquille Meyers get to grips with a Huddersfield player. Picture: Mick Sutterby

“We knew when we got promoted to the National League that it was going to be tough but it’s turning out to be a lot harder than we anticipated.

“We run a very small squad and injuries are having an effect on our performances and results at the moment. Today we were missing half a dozen key players.

“We knew we’d be punching above our weight at this level and so it’s turned out. But it’s not over yet.

“All the lads gave their all today - we just need to click.

Josh Waller drives forward for the Lions. Picture: Mick Sutterby

“Huddersfield arrived on a roll and we always seem to come across teams that are at their peak.”

The Lions actually started brightly in the late October sunshine with some promising thrusts from Jack Askham, Nico Defeo and Josh Waller. But it all came to nothing and in the fifth minute it was Huddersfield who opened the scoring with a penalty.

Ten minutes later the Lions lost Askham to the sin-bin and from the offence he committed under his own posts, Huddersfield won a scrum and spun the ball wide to cross in the corner.

The Lions retaliated with a try by Jack Lewis after skipper Conor Gracey won a lineout 10 metres out and Ben Young’s conversion reduced the deficit to 10-7.

Lions skipper Conor Gracey (right) comes up against former Lions man Matt Dunn of Huddesrfield. Picture: Mick Sutterby

But that quickly became 24-7 to Huddersfield as they cashed in on some lightweight Lions tackling to score two more tries.

A great break by Young paved the way for a second Lions try - scored by centre Suva Ma’asi and converted by Young - but that was as good as it got for the home side.

They lost Gracey to an elbow injury at the interval and Huddersfield were in total control of the second half and crossed for three more tries.

A punch-up right on the final whistle saw Lions full-back Shaquille Meyers and the Huddersfield number eight finish the game in the sin-bin.

Lions: Josh Waller, Jack Askham, Joe Lee, Marius Andrijauskas, Will Nankivell, Tom Lewis, Conor Gracey, Aki Lea, Tom Dougherty, Ben Young, Allen Carr, Nico Defeo, Suva Ma’asi, Will Moore, Shaquille Meyers. Subs: Franco Perticaro, Charley Robinson, Jack Lewis, Christian Edbrooke, Dean Elmore.