17/11/2024
Fylde’s Winning Run Halted by Hull
Hull 23 v Fylde 21: match report by Simon Taylor
Fylde found themselves on the wrong side of the ledger for the first time in 7 matches as they went down to a narrow defeat at Hull. With both sides scoring 3 tries apiece it was only kicks at goal that separated them at the death. Stand-off Patrick Bishop was once again 100% off the tee, as he potted all 3 conversions, but Hull, despite missing 2 conversions and a penalty, edged the contest courtesy of the 2 penalties and a conversion that did bisect the uprights.
With Corey Bowker, Matt Ashcroft, Tom Davis, Sam Stott and Freddie Reader all unavailable, Chris Rudkin and Rob Williamson started in the front row, with Tom Forster coming in at centre. Fylde were able to welcome back their classic Lion Dave Fairbrother into the back row. On a mild, dry and still day there was no playing with or against the elements, and Hull kicked off to the visitors. An early knock on by Fylde gave Hull the scrum from which they forced a penalty which full-back Fynlay Hobson knocked over to give them a 3-0 lead. Fylde foraged up field for the first time only to knock on again and this time on his own 10-yard line scrum half Sam Crane picked and went blind. He brushed off the attempted tackle and set winger Peter Hudson-Kowalewicz free, who drew the last man and put number eight Adam Brankley in for the try, unconverted but with only 8 minutes gone Fylde were the same number of points down.
After this slow start Fylde settled into the game and created possession and territory gains. Unfortunately, two golden scoring opportunities went begging. Firstly, from short range a Fylde player ran into his own man when the try looked on and accidental offside was called. Then, from a neat break and kick ahead by Cam Smith, scrum half Alex Gaughan gathered, fended off two men, dived for the line but had the ball dislodged in the act of scoring. Fylde kept plugging away and a penalty gave them a 5-yard line out on 23 minutes. Williamson hit Matthew Garrod, the catch and drive was set up and Mike Walton touched down, Bishop converting to get Fylde on the board at 8-7 down.
Back came Hull, with their strong running centre pairing of ex RL man Bureta Faraimo and Ali Heard, as always, proving a real handful. Faraimo carried robustly into the Fylde 22 on 32 minutes, creating havoc until the ball was stolen off him just short of the line and carried over by a Fylde defender. The reprieve was temporary as this gave Hull a 5-yard scrum. With the Fylde pack down resisting the push over, Brankley chose to pick and go and was unstoppable from so close to the line. The conversion was again missed but Hull had stretched the lead to 13-7, which is how it stayed till the break.
Fylde suffered another slow start to the second stanza, conceding penalties which always result in territory loss, and Hull edged into the scoring zone again, Hobson knocking over another penalty on 43 minutes to make it 16-7. In truth, both teams struggled all day to put multiple phases together or consistently stress the other team for sustained periods. There was good defence on show by both outfits, but equally too many errors or turnovers which impeded their rhythm, and the rhythm of the game.
Both teams had their periods of dominance when they were earning the penalties and forging up the park, it was all going to come down to who could remain accurate for long enough to convert that into points on the board, and who could get themselves in front and manage the game well. Greg Morgan replaced Matt Garrod and Fylde now enjoyed a good spell for 10 minutes with the ref rewarding their defence and accuracy in attack with penalties. Turning down the kickable ones, in fact Fylde have not yet attempted a penalty kick at goal in any of the 10 matches so far this season, Bishop pegged Hull back on 48 minutes, making them defend another 5-yard line out. This time the ball was spun into the backs and full-back Jordan Dorrington ran a delicious line and took the tackler over the line with him to dot down near the posts. Bishop converted and Fylde were just 2 points in arrears at 16-14 down.
Fylde had their tales up now and from the re-start Mike Walton went on one of what is fast becoming his trademark robust midfield defence splitting 30-yard carries. Fylde then earned their first penalty scrum of the match as Chris ‘Beefy’ Rudkin and Altham wrestled the initiative from a tiring Hull front row. This led to another 5-yard line out on 53 minutes. Williamson hit Skipper Toby Harrison who took front ball cleanly, Hull negated the catch and drive, but the ball was popped to prop Pete Altham, and he bumped off one defender and displayed a nice pirouette for a big unit to fox the last defender and touch down. Having not scored for 5 seasons this was Altham’s second try in 3 games, and a combined total of 8 running yards, despite his claims that I have missed a 0 off the end of that figure. With Bishop converting again, Fylde had put back-to-back scores together and taken the lead for the first time at 21-16.
The pivotal moment of the game came in the 64th minute. A good box kick was put up in their own half by Hull and they managed to compete and tap the ball back, with a quick transfer through several pairs of hands allowing Hudson-Kowalewicz space in a fractured midfield. He chose the right option with Faraimo coming on the scissor move, and the latter ran in from 20 out. Hobson converted, and Hull had snatched the lead back at 23-21. Both teams made changes, Oli Trippier, Ben Dorrington and Lucas Atherton on for Rudkin, Lewis Quinn and Smith, and Charlie Beech injecting fresh energy into the Hull front row, which allowed them to get the edge back in that department, as they turned a couple of scrums into pressure relieving penalties.
In the last 15 minutes both teams had their chances but failed to convert them into a score that would either put the game to bed for Hull or re-take the lead for Fylde. Fylde defended stoutly forcing a last-minute penalty deep in their own half which Bishop booted up to halfway. Sadly, the line out option that would have given them one last chance to put some game winning phases together went awry, and Hull could celebrate only their third win of the season, and Fylde had to be content with a losing bonus point. With the top 3 winning the gap between 4th placed Fylde and third place Sheffield has widened to 9 points, with 5th placed Wharfedale narrowing the gap to Fylde to 4 points.
The effort levels were, as ever, laudable, everyone putting their all in, it was just unfortunate that accuracy levels were not higher and the error and penalty count lower, or a narrow defeat could have been a 7th win on the spin. Pete Altham was named Fylde’s man of the match for an 80-minute shift, his try and strong work all round the pitch, despite carrying the tail end of a chest infection. Walton and Harrison again had fine games as did Dave Fairbrother, one big carry that ended up with the Hull ho**er being invited to ‘sit down’ was a highlight of note. Chris Rudkin and Rob Williamson stepped up to the plate in the pack with Alex Clayton and Jordan ‘iron jaw’ Dorrington shading the judges votes in the back division, Patrick Bishop continuing to develop into a fine playmaker and ship’s navigator with every game.
Coach Alex Loney said; ‘We are disappointed to see our winning run end. It was a winnable game but in the same breath we can’t argue with Hull winning, it was so tight it could have gone either way. From our point of view, we would have liked to have been more accurate and consistent and shave a few off the penalty count. When our attack came to life, we caused plenty of problems, the energy levels and commitment were up there, but yesterday was a reminder of what you have got to do in this league and the level you must play at, week in and week out, to be successful. We were just a bit off it today and if you are then every team in this league can punish you. The good news is we have a massive game next week at home to Leeds to make sure we fix any technical issues but also get our physical and emotional energy right. After they lost to us last year and their recent first loss of this season to Lymm it will a great test for us.’
Fylde: Dorrington J, Turner, Forster, Clayton, Smith (Atherton 69), Bishop, Gaughan, Fairbrother, Harrison (Captain), Quinn (Dorrington B. 69), Walton, Garrod (Morgan 47), Altham, Williamson, Rudkin (Trippier 71)
Unused sub: King
Hull: Hobson, Dawkins (Adlard 41), Heard, Faraimo, Hudson-Kowalewicz, Astley, Crane (Harding 59), Brankley, Hall, Uriburu Gray (Halaifonua 61), Addy (Baldry 74), Regardsoe, Bairstow, Jobling, Major (Beech 59)
