FYLDE 22 HULL IONIANS 22: report by Allan Foster
Despite having a decisive 19-5 lead at half-time, Fylde yielded to a gutsy 2nd half display by Hull Ionians who chipped away to take the lead by 19-22 with 13 minutes to go. But the home side gathered together and pressurised Ionians’ excellent defence in the final minutes. A late penalty by Will Hunt equalled the scores and secured a draw. This was probably a fair result overall but Fylde did butcher numerous opportunities in the 2nd half. Yellow cards didn’t help their cause.
Both defences were strong but the Fylde backline was dominant in the first 40 minutes. They opened the scoring on 4 minutes when debutant centre Danny Cassidy finished off a lovely move in combination with fellow centre Sam Stott and David Fairbrother. Hunt converted and Fylde led by 7-0.
Ionians reacted strongly and from an attack down the centre they were awarded a penalty from a kickable distance. Last season’s NL2 (North) leading points scorer, centre Lewis Minikin, stepped up but his kick drifted off course in the breeze and Fylde surprisingly escaped.
A dream debut by the impressive former RL player Cassidy was spoiled 10 minutes later when he retired from the fray with a painful rib injury. Jordan Dorrington provided excellent cover and was deployed at fullback with Alex Clayton moving to centre. But Cassidy’s loss was a real blow to the home side.
This setback was overtaken by increasingly penetrative Fylde back movements with fly-half Hunt mixing up releasing his backs and little infield chip kicks behind the Ionians defence. It was his quick thinking in the 22nd minute when he intercepted a somewhat telegraphed long Ionians pass and raced 70m to go under the posts. 14-0.
Fylde were on the wrong side of the penalties awarded by the referee but still had more than enough presence to trouble the visitors. Their 2nd row pairing of the Walton brothers, Michael and debutant Ben, was working well although the Fylde scrummage struggled somewhat against the powerful Ionians forwards.
Flanker Sanderson put Ionians back in the game on the half hour when off the back of a maul near the Fylde tryline he dived over from close range. Minikin again was unable to add the extras but the deficit had been reduced.
Fylde reacted in the best possible way when their playmaker Hunt broke the Ionians’ defensive line in the 34th minute and passed to Sam Stott who finished off a smart move. [Stott was later to be named MoM). Hunt was unable to add the conversion from wide out but a lead of 19-5 was convincing.
Ionians reacted with further attacks with halftime beckoning and after continual pressure inside the Fylde 22m area and a string of penalties awarded in fevered defence led to a YC to no 8 Dave Fairbrother for a technical offence. The Fylde pack held out until the referee whistled for the break but ‘Fairy’s’ absence was to prove expensive in the early minutes of the 2nd half.
The cliché of ‘a game of two halves’ was to work out. Two minutes in, Ionians exploited their players advantage and found space down their left. A neat move put winger George Hotchen clear and he raced in at the corner. Minikin converted well from near the touchline to reduce the deficit at 19-12.
Ionians now had the advantage of possession and territory and could smell blood, unsurprising given that a fair bit of it was spilled through injuries. Another penalty was conceded by the Fylde defence in the 51st min and Minikin stepped up to take his team to within four points of the home side at 19-15.
Fylde upped their efforts with Fairbrother back in the action and had a period of pressure deep inside the Ionians half. They earned a penalty in front of the visitors’ posts but decided to kick to the corner instead. Ionians regained possession and the danger was cleared. However, in the 55th minute Ionian’s debutant flanker Adam Brankley was sinbinned and Fylde had the numerical advantage.
It was the turn of the visitors to press the Fylde defence thereafter. Once again, a series of penalties were conceded as the Ionians forwards drove for the line time and again. In the 67th minute the referee’s patience ran out and he awarded a penalty try and sinbinned Fylde replacement prop Chris Rudkin. Ionians had the lead for the first time in the match at 19-22.
But the Fylde players did not give up and with skipper Toby Harrison urging them forward they looked to score their first points since the 34th minute. It was tense, desperate stuff as the 14 men bust a gut to get something out of the game. They earned a scrummage in the Ionians half in the 75th min and, despite their numerical advantage, the referee penalised the Yorkshiremen. There was little doubt that Fylde would not once again spurn the chance of achieving a draw by kicking for the corner and another driving maul attempt. Will Hunt stepped up nervelessly and made no mistake with a kick that went through the centre of the posts despite the breeze. 22-22 final score.
With both teams scoring only three tries, the total points earned by both was a modest two. An opening day defeat had been avoided by Fylde and that is important. But they will look back on the numerous chances they had to score tries in the 2nd half and believe they should have edged the match. 3 points was a poor return in the 2nd half.
There’s no shame in not beating a good, durable Ionians squad who will cause many other clubs in the league serious difficulties this season. Meanwhile, there were lots to admire in the Fylde performance which will give them encouragement for next Saturday when they visit Preston Grasshoppers.
Click here for Chris Farrow’s album of excellent match photos and more.
FYLDE: 15 Clayton, 14 Macaulay, 13 Cassidy (Dorrington 13), 12 Stott, 11 Gilliland, 10 Hunt, 9 Maguire; 1 Bowker (Rudkin 57), 2 Parker, 3 Altham (King 57), 4 Walton B, 5 Walton M, 6 Quinn (Morgan 63, Bowker 71, Morgan 77), 7 Harrison, 8 Fairbrother (Greenwood 52).
HULL IONIANS: 15 Townend, 14 Minikin G, 13 Minikin L, 12 Britton, 11 Hotchen, 10 Watts, 9 Pocklington; 1 Morton (Edwards 52, Morton 78), 2 Stevenson, 3 Thundercliffe (Clark 14, Thundercliffe 21, Clark 57), 4 Makin, 5 Khalil, 6 Brankley, 7 Sanderson (Malcolmson 63), 8 Mewburn (Newell 65).
Non-playing replacement: Kirk.
Attendance: 520
Referee: Daniel Woods
