Fylde RFC 22 Hull Ionians 22: Draw kicks off the new campaign
Will Hunt’s late penalty secured a draw for a Fylde team who had led 19-5 at half-time on day one of the new National Two North season.
Hull Ionians’ gutsy second-half display had seen them chip away before taking a 22-19 lead with 13 minutes to go.
The home side regathered and pressurised Ionians’ excellent defence in the final minutes, with Hunt’s penalty earning what was probably a fair result.
However, Fylde did butcher numerous opportunities in the second half and yellow cards didn’t help their cause.
Although both defences were strong, Fylde’s backline was dominant in the first 40 minutes.
They opened the scoring on four minutes, Danny Cassidy finishing off a lovely move in combination with Sam Stott for a converted try.
His dream debut came to an early end with a rib injury, having seen Lewis Minikin spurn a penalty chance for the visitors.
Fylde coped with that setback as Hunt’s quick thinking saw him intercept a somewhat telegraphed long pass and race 70 metres to score under the posts.
Leading 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.
James Sanderson then put Ionians back in the game on the half-hour when, off the back of a maul near the Fylde line, he dived over from close range.
Fylde reacted in the best possible way on 34 minutes, when Hunt broke the Ionians’ defensive line and passed to Stott who finished off a smart move.
Ionians responded with further attacks, winning a string of penalties before Fylde’s Dave Fairbrother was yellow-carded for a technical offence.
They held out until the break, after which Fairbrother’s absence proved expensive in the early stages.
Two minutes in, Ionians exploited their player advantage with a neat move seeing George Hotchen race in at the corner and Minikin converting from near the touchline.
A Minikin penalty on 51 minutes made the score 19-15 to Fylde who, with Fairbrother back in the action, had a period of pressure deep inside Ionians’ half.
Having earned a penalty in front of the posts, they kicked to the corner instead but the visitors regained possession and the danger was cleared.
Although Ionians saw Adam Brankley sinbinned in the 55th minute, it was their turn to press the Fylde defence thereafter.
A series of penalties were again conceded as Ionians’ forwards repeatedly drove for the line before the referee’s patience ran out on 67 minutes.
He awarded a penalty try and sinbinned Fylde’s Chris Rudkin, with Ionians leading for the first time at 22-19.
Fylde did not give up and, with skipper Toby Harrison urging them forward, they looked to score their first points since the 34th minute.
A scrummage in the visitors’ half on 75 minutes saw them penalised, Hunt stepping up nervelessly and making no mistake with a kick that went through the centre of the posts.
Fylde RFC: Clayton, Macaulay, Cassidy (Dorrington), Stott, Gilliland, Hunt, Maguire; Bowker (Rudkin), Parker, Altham (King), B Walton, M Walton, Quinn (Morgan, Bowker, Morgan), Harrison, Fairbrother (Greenwood).
Hull Ionians: Townend, G Minikin, L Minikin, Britton, Hotchen, Watts, Pocklington; Morton (Edwards, Morton), Stevenson, Thundercliffe (Clark, Thundercliffe, Clark), Makin, Khalil, Brankley, Sanderson (Malcolmson), Mewburn (Newell). Not used: Kirk.