Injury-hit Aspatria's 14 players beaten by Huddersfield
Last updated 12:53, Tuesday, 21 October 2008
Aspatria finished a tough tie at Huddersfield with only 14 men after being forced to use all five replacements.
The Black Reds had been forced to go into the game without their influential player coach Mike Scott.
They had scored a converted try soon after half-time to pull-back to 21-10 and give them hope of pulling off a shock against a side two Leagues above them.
But Huddersfield quickly responded with an unconverted try and when Lee Tinnion was sin-binned they ran in two converted tries to pull clear.
Then the injuries started to bite for the Black Reds and in the closing stages they shipped two more tries as they were handicapped by absences on the field. Both props had to go off for running repairs as Ian McDowell and Graeme Andrews required stitches.
Gary Hodgson, their stand-out forward this season, went off with a shoulder injury and there were also problems for Jacques Rowe (knee). When Andrew Miller had to retire five minutes from the end teenager Kieran Ritchie had already joined the action for his debut as the fifth and final replacement.
Huddersfield had opened up a 21-0 lead with three tries, all converted by Chris Johnson who was an influential player at fly-half, continually keeping Aspatria penned back.
Just before half-time Scott’s deputy at fly-half Dan Rayson landed a penalty for Aspatria.
Soon after the re-start they put on some good pressure and Lee Tinnion went in at the corner for a try which Rayson improved from the touchline.
But Huddersfield hit back with the only try Johnson did not convert and soon afterwards Tinnion was sin-binned.
That was the beginning for the end for the Cumbrians as Huddersfield finished with eight tries, seven of them converted by Johnson.
Kendal will keep the Cumbria flag flying in the competition as they got through with a comprehensive 62-7 home win over Halifax.
Richard Harryman(2), Dan Murray, Liam Hayton, Duncan Green, Gareth Gore, Gary Holmes, Lewis Boyd,Dan Stephens and Zane Butler scored the ten tries with Stephens converting six.
