HUDDERSFIELD  28   BEVERLEY  35

                What a performance!  Despite playing with only fourteen men for nearly all the match Beverley overcame a powerful Huddersfield side to secure a momentous victory which ensures them a playoff fixture for a possible fourth consecutive promotion.  Going into this match Huddersfield were themselves not entirely out of the running for the play off spot but they were simply outplayed by a Beverley side which stuck it out heroically to the end and played some fine rugby along the way. 

                Beverley tore into their opponents from the kick-off and within five minutes were eight points up.  A towering kick by Anthony Posa after only two minutes was knocked on by the home defence and from the resulting scrum David Worrall broke away to force his way over for an outstanding try from forty metres out.  Three minutes later with a Beverley penalty pending Posa dropped a goal from close range and Huddersfield were left wondering what had hit them. 

                But Huddersfield have a dangerous backline and when a break was made in midfield the ball was moved quickly wide to winger Alex Shaw who touched down under the posts for a try which full back Andy Metcalfe converted.  Disaster for Beverley almost immediately struck again when Tim Carney was red cared for an off the ball incident.  Yet the Beverley pack merely responded by raising their game and their domination of the forward exchanges remained undiminished. 

                A long range penalty by Ian Archibald was followed by a fine try by Frayley Hopa who rounded off a powerful break by Jade Gardiner in the centre.  Five minutes later the Beverley pack drove over for a try in the corner touched down by Archibald.  With Archibald’s two conversions, one a superb kick from the touchline, Beverley were eighteen points clear and despite being a man down were continuing to run away with it. 

                Quick thinking by wing forward Mark Whitehead with a tapped penalty brought a try for Huddersfield which Metcalfe converted but Beverley immediately responded with another one of their own when a clearance kick was charged down and Guy Hope won the race for the touchdown in the corner.  Another superb Archibald conversion from the touchline took Beverley into a 32-14 interval lead. 

                Although it looked an unassailable position Beverley with their reduced numbers had to turn round and face a strong downfield wind as well as a physically powerful side in the second half.  Whether their resolve and stamina could hold out remained to be seen.  However another Archibald penalty within three minutes stretched the lead and after half an hour Huddersfield had still been unable to make any inroads into the Beverley lead.  Tony Riby-French, on for the injured Gavin Gibson, was performing splendidly alternating between wing forward and centre and Huddersfield could get little change out of Worrall and James McKay in the Beverley back row.  In the second row Gareth Jackson and Hopa appeared tireless.

                With the game entering its last quarter of an hour weariness at last began to take its toll on the heroic Beverley effort and the dangerous home backs started to find openings.  Converted tries by winger Ben Paxman and a second by Whitehead brought Huddersfield to within one converted try of getting a draw.  Suddenly it became a thrilling finish but Beverley astutely played out the lengthy period of added time by retaining possession and denying Huddersfield any further opportunities.