National 3 Promotion Playoff Huddersfield April 26th

Luctonians 7 - 22 Huddersfield

LUCTONIANS' dreams of national league rugby were shattered on Saturdaywhen they crashed to a 22-7 play-off defeat to Huddersfield.

The task in Yorkshire was always going to be tough for the MortimerPark men, but with home fly-half Chris Johnson notching 17 points in a near faultless kicking display, toppling their hosts would prove a bridge too far. An invigorated Lucs took the game to their hosts in the early stagesand could have got the first try when fly-half Alex James put full back Charlie Meredith through a gap but he was hauled down just metres from the line and the ball was cleared by the home side. More forward pressure from Lucs saw the Huddersfield forwards kill the ball at the breakdown, but the visitors were unable to profit with centre Blake Korteweg's long-range penalty attempt just off-target. Johnson missed with an 8th minute penalty attempt but was on-target with the following two place-kicks to open up a 6-0 lead. The visitors missed another penalty but found themselves increasingly frustrated by the referee, who, after awarding yet another penalty to the home side, yellow carded Lucs hooker Nick Byron. Johnson added the penalty before Huddersfield dealt a hammer blow to the 14-man Lucs side by notching a converted try for a 16-0 interval lead.

An even second half saw possession and territory swing in favour between the sides before Lucs rallied and got a try through back rower Tim Breakwell after a powerful rolling maul. Korteweg converted to bring Lucs within touching distance at 16-7. But the control and poise shown by the home side under pressure was enough to get them through and after two more Johnson penalties they stretched their lead to an unassailable 22-7. Despite being more than in the contest, Lucs are left to ponder what could have been, but players, coaches and officials at Mortimer Park can take heart from this season's campaign which has seen them go within a whisker of bringing National League rugby to Kingsland.