Huddersfield 32 Fylde RFC 34: Fylde's late show floors their hosts

Trailing 32-17 with 15 minutes to go and staring at a third straight defeat, they scored two converted tries and Greg Smith landed a penalty for victory.

The result was tough on Huddersfield, following a game which saw Fylde outscore the hosts by five tries to four and both teams have three players sinbinned.

Fylde’s first challenge was assembling a 20-man squad, which saw newcomers Cam Railton, Robbie Kincart and Joseph Osivwemu alongside Alex Clayton and joint-head coach Chris Briers on the bench.

After some even early exchanges, Ed Barber’s penalty put the home team ahead on 14 minutes.

Back came Fylde six minutes later as good lineout ball saw two quick wide passes put in Ben Turner for a try and a 5-3 lead.

However, Fylde conceded a penalty before being pinned back and knocking on in attempting the interception.

That saw Sam Parker sinbinned on 24 minutes, followed two minutes later by Scott Rawlings’ yellow card for failing to roll out of the tackle area.

Not for the first time this season, it left Fylde with 13 men against 15 and Huddersfield soon took advantage with tries from Charlie Foreman and Lewis Quinn – as well as an Ethan Myers conversion – seeing the hosts 15-5 ahead on 33 minutes.

Fylde got their men back, forcing some possession and penalties near the home line before Tane Bentley was hit high and Huddersfield given their first yellow of the day.

Some Fylde prodding and probing paid off as Smith squeezed through for a try in the corner to leave them 15-10 behind at half-time.

Myers extended Huddersfield’s lead with a penalty on 44 minutes before Fylde’s Jordan Dorrington was sinbinned two minutes later, having made a fine covering tackle but then deemed to have ripped the ball while on the ground.

Scrums and penalties followed before Francis Entressengle crashed over and Myers converted to leave Fylde 25-10 behind.

Fylde responded five minutes later, a fine team move seeing Adam Lanigan break the defensive line before drawing the last man and putting Parker over.

Smith’s conversion made the score 25-17 before Barber was sinbinned for blocking Ben Gould’s attempted quick tap and go.

Nevertheless, Fylde could not capitalise and it was Huddersfield who went 32-17 up when Myers went over and added the conversion.

With only 15 minutes left, Fylde raised their game with Lanigan racing over for a try and Smith converting.

Trailing 32-24, the best try of the day followed as Ben Gregory and Turner combined for the supporting Clayton to score another converted try.

Another sweeping move then led to a penalty, which Smith kicked to put Fylde 34-32 in front with nine minutes left.

They then showed good game management to deny Huddersfield – who saw Liam Parfitt sinbinned – a way back into the game before claiming a hard-fought win.

Huddersfield: Workman, Foreman, Nicholson, Horsfall (Quinn/Walker), Collins, Barber, Harrison, Thompson, Myers (Moore), Rollins (Sanderson), Pearson, Barnard (Dawson), Entressengle, Haywood, Parfitt.

Fylde RFC: Dorrington, Turner, Forster, Stott, Lanigan, Smith, Gould, Bowker, Gregory, Altham, Garrod, Deeks, Parker, Rawlings (Clayton), Bentley. Not used: Briers, Railton, Kincart, Osivwemu.