National League Three North: Ilkley 9 Huddersfield 58

NOT even Euclid and his mathematical genius could put much of a gloss on Ilkley's performance at Stacks Field.

Coach Rhys Morgan knew that his men had to turn up with their A-plus game to even have a chance of getting anything against the runaway table-toppers Huddersfield, and things went well for four minutes.

Ilkley caught and drove a line-out 20 metres to the visitors' try-line and forced a knock-on in-goal, won the resulting five-metre scrum and then a penalty, which skipper Joe Rowntree converted for a 3-0 lead.

That was that for Ilkley A+ game, however as it was extinguished by the size, power, fitness levels and skills of a side who were determined to regain the National League Two North status they lost last season.

The restart gave Huddersfield territory and that was compounded with the gift of a penalty kick on the Ilkley 22. The line-out and drive was pulled down illegally, former Yorkshire Carnegie player Chris Bell slotting the sixth-minute goal.

During the next six minutes, Ilkley lost a line-out and were comprehensively pushed off their own ball, the ball being moved down the line for winger Danny Grainger to score and Bell to convert.

The latter then converted a penalty as the under-pressure home scrum erred but Ben Magee then injected some pace, the attack being stopped illegally on the Huddersfield ten-metre line, allowing Rowntree to land a penalty to make it 13-6.

A touch-finder was then adjudged to have been carried into the Ilkley 22, and Huddersfield won the line-out before moving the ball just as efficiently for the other winger Brendan Conway to score, Bell converting for 20-6.

Ilkley then had a spell of possession and promise as play was concentrated in midfield for ten minutes, a third Rowntree penalty – this time from almost the halfway line – narrowed the deficit to 11 points, and they only added a Bell penalty before half-time.

Despite coach Morgan's half-time team talk, the second half was 40 minutes of torture interspersed with the odd moment of Magee magic by both Ben and replacement Aaron.

Two golden opportunities were cut short metres from the Huddersfield line by outstanding tackling from the visitors' defence, showing that they are well equipped in both disciplines.

Huddersfield scored a converted pushover try in the 42nd minute, No 8 Nick Sharpe claiming the score, but the introduction of Chris Blackhall for big Jon Hutchinson shored up the scrum as Ilkley's confidence seemed to rise.

Try as they did with guts and courage, however, they couldn't dint the Huddersfield defence but at least further scores were prevented for 20 minutes, even while Nick Carolan was in the sin-bin.

Aaron Magee replaced Luke Freer, and a try would have been scant reward for the home side's efforts but a line-out and drive from five metres was frustrated with a truck-and-trailer offside.

Bell punished the misdemeanour with two massive penalty touch-finders, and skipper Austen Thompson did the rest from the line-out to make the score 37-9.

Carolan's return and the introduction of Charles Ramsey, plus a Huddersfield yellow card, did nothing to help the now-lost Ilkley cause though.

An audacious interception as Ilkley tried to run the ball out of defence gifted Elliott Hodgson a converted try under the posts, and the same player bagged the next try after super back-play from a line-out on the 22.

Then, to add insult to injury as Ben Magee had almost put Pat Power in for a score, only to be thwarted by more fantastic defending, Huddersfield broke away with players over on the right, and Hodgson completed his hat-trick of converted tries.

It wasn't that the Dalesmen played badly, they simply didn't play as well as they can.

Scrums were lost because they were bossed at the set-piece, line-outs were lost because the presence of bigger men forced wayward throws, the ball was lost in the tackle because of the sheer power and excellence of the tackling, and penalties were conceded in desperation, not ignorance of the laws.

Huddersfield were just better all round, but so were Sheffield Tigers early last season.

When young Gloucestershire referee Charlie Gayther blew up for time, it was a reflection on his competent and effective control that he hadn't been noticed.

Huddersfield, with 295 points for and 74 against in seven matches, will take some stopping, but Ilkley must lick their wounds as they prepare for another derby at Sandal.