North Premier: Ilkley 7 Hull 7

ANOTHER superb defensive display from the Dalesmen earned them a precious two points on a day that started with a downpour, putting the North Premier game at risk.

However, the pitch was certainly playable at 3pm and a feisty game ensued, with honours being shared in a 7-7 draw.

Hull’s hired hands were not best pleased with the opposition, the referee, the result or much else it seemed.

There were several unsavoury incidents, both on and off the ball, and there were even some 'afters' following the players clapping each other off.

A crisp start by Ilkley was rewarded with a penalty on Hull’s 10-metre line, but Charles Morgan could only look in anguish as his effort hit a post and bounced back into play, with Hull clearing to halfway.

An overthrown line-out by Ilkley in their 22 was seized upon by Hull, who countered, and the Ilkley defence were forced to carry the ball over their own line.

From the five-metre scrum, Hull drove over, but were held up.

At the second scrum, Ilkley were in trouble and, as the pack went down, referee Thomas Hurdley sprinted under the posts to signal a penalty try for the visitors.

The Ilkley faithful no doubt feared the worst and, from the kick-off, Hull set up an attack which was halted just inside their half on Ilkley’s right wing.

In piled the forwards and, miraculously, up popped the ball on Ilkley’s side.

As a couple of punches were thrown, out went the ball to the ever-menacing J-H Johnson.

Breaking a couple of tackles, the No 8 found his scrum half on his shoulder and Jack Maplesden duly finished the move off under the posts, with Morgan's conversion making it 7-7 with 12 minutes gone.

Maplesden was held up over the Hull line shortly afterwards in Ilkley’s next attack, but his side had already had a penalty signalled, some 20 metres out, but Morgan’s second miss of the day meant that the scores stayed level.

Ilkley had probably had the better of the first 25 minutes, but now it was Hull’s turn to put on a bit of pressure and, seemingly inevitably, that pressure led to a penalty, which Hull kicked for territory.

Just 15 metres out, Ilkley had some defending to do and they warmed to their task, eventually winning a scrum which enabled them to clear their lines.

More irritability from both sides earned each captain a talking-to.

Hull started to feed their top-scoring winger Steve Hihetah, but he was well tackled and Ilkley cleared again from the resulting scrum.

The half finished with Mr Hurdley’s patience finally running out and Hull’s flanker Zak Poole being sent off to put the kettle on for the half-time cuppa.

With conditions becoming worse, both sides made mistakes in the second half, a slippery surface combining with a wet ball to make running rugby all but impossible.

Poole’s absence didn’t seem to bother Hull and Ilkley were still having to defend, with just one small error blotting their copybook when an up-and-under wasn’t well dealt with.

Hull failed to profit from this though and were penalised, Ilkley gaining a further ten metres for some ill-advised back-chat.

Five minutes later, Hull again over-reacted when a penalty was awarded against them, with exactly the same result.

With 20 minutes to go, Hull tried to run a ball out of defence, but the ball was dropped and Ilkley had a scrum in the opposition 22.

This won, the ball found its way into touch but the Ilkley line wasn’t straight.

Then Hull threw crookedly and it was back to Ilkley, battering away at the visitors’ line and mauling well.

A knock-on ended the Dalesmen’s hope though, and that was it from an attacking point of view.

Having cleared to their 10-metre line, Hull’s attack shuffled sideways towards the middle of the pitch and Ilkley were penalised at the breakdown.

Full back Lee Birch pinched another couple of metres for his attempt, just inside his own half.

The kick had the length, but not the line and Ilkley breathed again.

The last ten minutes produced what must be Ilkley’s finest defensive display of the season, and the all-round tackling was stupendous.

Even so, a penalty on the 22 was conceded and Hull opted for a scrum – to the general disbelief of their vociferous support.

The move from it broke down in Ilkley’s favour and the ball was despatched to East Holmes Field to end the game.

Both sides had opportunities to win this match, but a draw seemed fair after 80 minutes of graft.

Hull were certainly superior in the tight scrum, but nowhere else and Ilkley had the edge in the loose.

Ilkley drop a place, but can move up two if they beat visitors Wirral this weekend.

Hull return to the City of Culture with their two points, knowing that Harrogate’s loss at Preston gives them the chance of going second if they can win their game in hand against Kirkby Lonsdale, which might cheer them up!

Pocklington briefly looked briefly to have survived another week when the RFU had them down as winning 7-0 against visitors Lymm, but the correct score of 42 was inserted, dooming the East Yorkshiremen to relegation.

Morley and Birkenhead Park look likely to join them, though they both have mathematical chances, if not realistic ones.

Ilkley, meanwhile have a tough run-in, with trips to Harrogate and Preston to look forward to, as well as Lymm and Rossendale.

Their remaining home matches are against Wirral and Birkenhead Park and, on this form, no one should bet against them.