FYLDE vs HULL: match report by Will Judd
Fylde 35 Hull RUFC 13
With the sun beginning to set on Fylde’s 2024/25 season, they were looking to round out their final home games with big results and on retaining their 4th place in National Two (North).
On paper, Fylde might have been expected to edge it over the borderline relegation fighters Hull RUFC but with their squad rapidly improving over the recent months it would be no walk in the park, or rather, at the Woodlands.
The Hull side are an immensely physical side, and they demonstrated this by dominating possession in the Fylde 22 for the opening 10 minutes. This non-stop pressure didn’t culminate in a try, but a penalty was kicked by fullback Fynlay Hobson giving the visitors the lead.
Fylde had to bounce back, and indeed they did, when an attacking lineout resulted in Jordan Dorrington darting over the line on the left-hand side. A good Will Hunt conversion meant Fylde were 4 points clear, but not for long.
Only a couple of minutes later the home side was in again. Hull’s restart was gathered well by Fylde and the ball was shifted out to the rapid Freddie Reader, who broke the defensive line and timed the offload beautifully for Ben Turner to fly over for Fylde’s second try in as many minutes. This completely turned the game around as Fylde now had a 14-3 lead after 15 minutes.
But it was in the next few minutes where the game started to go off script. Fylde’s Hunt was yellow carded in the 24th minute after numerous penalties deep in the home side’s 22. This left some confusion as to who would be taking the goal line dropout.
It was Reader who took on the responsibility but a lack of length gave Hull a real chance, which culminated in yet another goal line drop. However, this time in the 30th minute, a Fylde miskick resulted in Hull’s Harry Dawkins diving over in the left corner for a simple try.
Coaches Alex Loney and Chris Briers wanted an instant reply. And that was exactly what happened when Greg Morgan, on as a replacement for the injured Matt Garrod in the 33rd minute, picked up on a loose ball and found Lewis Quinn who made upwards of 30 meters before David Fairbrother finished the job just left of the posts. With Hunt in the sin bin it was down to Reader who quickly drop-kicked his conversion to restore Fylde’s converted try lead.
On the brink of half time Fylde were in again, this time with scrum half Ben Gould, who broke for the line to touch down but appeared from distance to have spilled the ball in the process. The referee, after consulting with an Assistant Referee, judged that the ball was grounded. The returning Hunt converted easily to give his team a convincing 28-8 lead at the half-time break.
The opening 15 minutes of the second half was a rather stale affair, the biggest chance coming to the home side’s Lewis Quinn who broke through the defence and nearly scored but for some superb Hull tackles.
It was at the 63rd minute mark though where referee Tom Hurdley reached for his pocket for the first time in the second half, handing a yellow card to Dorrington.
Nonetheless Fylde pushed on and scored their fifth try of the game and Fairbrother’s second. Greg Morgan produced yet another super carry and released the number 8, who had a brilliant Man of the Match game, to set up a simple conversion, which at 35-8 seemingly put the match out of reach for Hull.
But this didn’t mean that the final 10 would be without drama. Hull’s fly-half Harrison Astley was carded with 10 to go but this didn’t stop the visitors scoring minutes later when Hobson reached into the corner after Dorrington was given a second yellow for multiple penalties.
Fylde were about to drop down to even fewer players though, as tensions began to increase thanks largely to a number of late injuries, including to Michael Walton and Ben Gould.
The officials were struggling to control the game, made worse by a ‘set to’ with minutes to play. Will Hunt received a second yellow card and the end of his afternoon. With this and the injuries to Fylde’s players, the depth of the squad will be really tested in the final four games of the season.
It was a tough ending for the Woodlands army, but they had nevertheless battled through for another bonus-point victory at home, albeit getting battered and bruised in the process. Throughout the game the Fylde defence had been outstanding with fierce tackling against the huge Hull ball carriers, especially centre Bureta Faraimo and backrowers Paulos Latu and Adam Brankley.
David Fairbrother was named by the coaches as Fylde’s Man of the Match for his two tries and normal all action display.
Click here for Chris Farrow’s album of photographs.
FYLDE: 1) Rudkin (Bowker 61), 2) Williamson, 3) Altham (King 63), 4) Garrod (Morgan 33), 5) Walton (Parker 60), 6) Quinn, 7) Harrison (c), 8) Fairbrother; 9) Gould (Lanigan 74), 10) Hunt; 11) Lanigan (Smith 63), 12) Forster, 13) Reader, 14) Turner; 15) Dorrington.
Attendance: 736
