Academy 5 - 17 Huddersfield 3rds

On paper the strongest side of the season so far turned out at Rose Cottage to take on Huddersfield.

In an evenly contested 1st half where defences were on top the Academy struggled to find any real cohesion in attack due in the main to new partnerships in all positions and it must be said a lack of real fitness.

Having said that there was no lack of endeavour but try as they might the home side could not break down the visitors robust defence.
Huddersfield did manage a try out wide following a prolonged amount of pressure in the latter part of the first half, although the conversion proved to be too far out thus making the score at half time 5-0.

Talk of not over committing at breakdowns, keeping it simple and putting pressure on in defence appeared to fall on deaf ears when not for the first time this season a try was conceded within 5 minutes of the restart.

Now up against it Keighley rallied with some vigorous defence and pressure of their own in attack which culminated in a well taken try for new scrum half Mark Walton.

A chance to really take the game to the visitors now if only Keighley could get a hold of the ball. This wasn't to be though as this Huddersfield side always know how to close out a game starving the home side of any ball and scoring a length of the field breakaway try with some real quality interplay.

The try converted then just time for young "veteran" prop Ollie Sugden to pop a shoulder out before the final whistle to rub salt in!
This team will gel in the coming weeks and when they do someone will be in for a real hiding, well played all in the end, no shame losing to what is a really good side and it was good to see just how disappointed the Academy were as they knew this really was a game they could have taken.

Home again next week V Skipton 2nds, hopefully a similar team out again will start that gelling process!