DUDLEY Kingswinford must pick themselves off the floor to face top of the table Macclesfield this week following thier dismal second half showing against Harrogate.

DK appeared within striking distance of securing their first win of the season as they led Harrogate 17-14 at the break.

But a dreadful final 40 minutes saw them slump to a 47-22 defeat — a result that now leaves them bottom of National Two North.

Team manager Mark Holloway found it hard to hide his dismay and described DK’s second half showing as ‘completely inexplicable’.

He added: “At half-time, I thought we were watching two very evenly matched teams and that it was going to be a very tight game. I just cannot explain the second half capitulation.”

DK had started in excellent style when left wing Liam Marshall squeezed his way over in the corner for a try.

Harrogate hit back with two converted tries, scrum-half Danny Matthews and then centre Luke Edwards breacing the DK defence with fly-half Joe Rowntree converting both.

But DK responded well through stand-off Kieran Pinches, who kicked four penallties to put his side ahead at the break.

Harrogate hit the ground running at the start of second-half exchanges as Rowntree and Matthews ran in two tries within the space of four minutes resumption.

DK never recovered from that point and didn’t help matters when flanker Luke Greenwood was yellow carded for an off the ball incident.

Harrogate added a further try through flanker Aarin Yorke before new signing from Cinderford Tom Scrivens came on at scrum-half and secured a try on 65 minutes after his pack trundled the Yorkshiremen back over their own line.

However, it was Harrogate who finished on top as Matthews and Edwards took their side’s try tally to seven with Rowntree adding four further conversions for good measure.

Holloway remains optimistic and said: “The whole club needs to get behind the team at the moment. “It’s no good deluding ourselves, we need to improve and fast. “We’re just searching for that first win at the moment and if we could get that, it would do wonders for confidence.

“The side has proved it can put in a good 40 minutes, we just need a good 80 minutes from them now”.

DK can welcome back Jimmy Gore following his red card against Hull for the trip to Macclesfield, while Tom May should return at prop.