A STAR turn from loan player Harry Davey fired Huddersfield to a narrow 32-30 win at home to Sedgley Park.

The Tigers had forced their way to within a point of top spot but came unstuck in West Yorkshire, largely due to the precision kicking of Davey.

The Yorkshire Carnegie player scored 27 of the home side’s tally, including a first-half try, two conversions and six penalties.

He finished the day with a 100 per-cent record with the boot, capitalising after Sedgley were continually penalised for infringements at the ruck.

Geoff Roberts, the Tigers’ general manager, was frustrated by some of the referee’s decision-making but admitted that Davey deserved to finish on the winning side.

“We gave away 15 penalties, which was almost double our average, and Davey made full use of them,” said Roberts.

“For our part, we need to look at the contact area, in the ruck, when someone is tackled and see what we are doing to give away so many penalties as when it comes down to it that is what has cost us the game. But I can’t take anything away from Davey’s performance as you still have to kick them and he was in stunning form. He could not miss with his kicking, he was absolutely brilliant.

“The frustrating thing for us is that, as part of his loan agreement, he is now not allowed to play again for Huddersfield for another three months.”

Despite Davey’s devastating kicking display, Sedgley almost did enough to win the game and after scoring four tries and finishing just two points behind their hosts they added another two points to the bonus column – making it 14 from 13 games this season.

The bonus points – four more than the majority of their rivals – have helped cushion the blow of four defeats over the course of the campaign, meaning they remain well placed in fourth, just four points behind leaders Hinkley.

Danny Maher drove over for two tries, while Jamie Harrison and Matt Riley got the other two. Steve Collins added to the Sedgley score with two conversions, a penalty and a drop goal, although two missed conversion attempts proved costly. Roberts refused to lay any blame at his door.

“We scored two of our tries out wide, which made the conversions very difficult, so there was nothing Stevie could have done with those,” he said.

Sedgley edged the first-half try count 3-1 but went into the break trailing 19-17.

A fifth penalty of the afternoon from Davey four minutes into the second half put Huddersfield further ahead before the Tigers roared back with their final try of the day, which, combined with a drop goal and penalty, put them 30-22 up with 25 minutes to play.

But a hamstring injury to full-back Rob Holloway halted Sedgley’s progress and Davey’s final two kicks – a penalty and conversion, following Richard Piper’s try – gave Huddersfield a two-point lead with less than 10 minutes to play.

The Tigers did manage to go over for a try in the closing stages but were pulled back for a forward pass and when a last-ditch move broke down Huddersfield kicked into touch to seal the win.