DUDLEY Kingswinford player-coach Jon Higgins remains at a loss to explain his side’s dismal away form this season.

Following a fabulous home victory over promotion chasing Darlington Mowden Park, the DK’s promptly suffered another bout of travel sickness as they plumetted to a 36-7 defeat at Preston Grasshoppers in National Two North.

Higgins said: “We’re not travelling well at the moment and I don’t know what the answer is.

“Our away form this season has simply been dreadful!

“It’s frustrating, but we’re not getting it right mentally.

“Certain individuals need to be better prepared and more switched-on.

“Preston deserved to win, but we could have put in a better performance.”

The DK’s cause wasn’t helped in Lancashire when Higgins injured his thigh in the warm-up.

Although the player-coach started the game, he could only manage 36 minutes before coming off.

Preston’s new signing Mo Mustafa, a giant of a prop from Leeds Carnegie, made his presence felt with a 50 metre break towards the DK line.

Although he was halted by a last-ditch tackle from Ian Gowland, it led to intense pressure on the DK line which finally saw fellow prop Andy Irving crash over. Shaun Taylor added the extras.

Preston plundered a second try on 18 minutes through number eight Conor Murphy, which Taylor promptly improved upon to make the score 14-0.

The DK’s hit back when a clever kick from Higgins led to a try from winger Jose Watkins. The player-coach added the conversion.

Any suggestion of a DK’s recovery was stifled when the hosts went over for the their third try to give the Grasshopper a 19-7 lead at the break.

Within a minute of restart, Matt Hughes scored Preston’s fourth try.

Scrum-half Sqam Kindred scampered over for try number five, which was improved by Taylor.

DK’s error-riddled display then culminated when Ian Gowland inexplicably threw the ball to Preston replacement Adam Birchall, who gratefully ran through several weak attempted tackles to score his side’s sixth.