Darlington continue to improve despite loss

11:08am Friday 2nd November 2007

Darlington 3 Huddersfield 22

Darlington slipped back to the bottom, despite continuing their improvement in a 22-3 home defeat by unbeaten Huddersfield.

Disrupted by losing centre Andrew Pugh after 17 minutes, flanker Andy Tonkin nine minutes later and lock Dave Hinchley early in the second half, Darlington competed in all areas in a game they would probably have lost by 50 points at the start of the season.

They are expecting two Australian forwards to arrive shortly, but it was the bigger Huddersfield backs who scythed through for the first try after four minutes.

The conversion, a penalty and a 35th minute try made it 15-0 before home full back Evan Haigh kicked a penalty from the tenmetre line.

Huddersfield kept Darlington pinned back through their superior kicking and any hope of a comeback ended when flanker Matt Dilworth was sin-binned in the 71st minute. The visitors scored a converted try five minutes later.

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