ILKLEY'S head of rugby Rhys Morgan has praised his team's resilience in securing a 7-7 draw at home to Hull in North Premier.

All the points came early on, with the visitors controversially being awarded a penalty try, only for Ilkley to counter with a try by scrum half Jack Maplesden that was converted by Charles Morgan in the 12th minute.

However, it was in the closing stages that Hull really threatened to secure the victory.

Morgan said: "My players worked really hard, but our defensive performance in the last five minutes was massive.

"Hull only got over the line with the intervention of the referee, and we can take an enormous amount from that, and even then referee Tom Hurdley ruled that it was a penalty try too early.

"I am not certain that he could see whether it should have been a penalty try or not but he is one man doing a job and it isn't easy."

Morgan added: "My son Elliott called it in the changing room beforehand that all of the pressure was on Hull and that there was no pressure on us.

"Hull are a semi-professional team chasing promotion who probably feel that they have been in this division for too long, and it was a feisty game at times, but maybe we also got some decisions that we shouldn't have.

"Overall I feel that a draw was a fair result."

Fourth-placed Hull are in a three-way battle for second place with Harrogate and Lymm.

Tenth-placed Ilkley are at home again on Saturday against Wirral, who are seventh, six points ahead of Ilkley having played a game more.

Morgan said: "Wirral are a competitive side who have the best No 8 in the division.

"We may give a chance to young Matt Burke, and we are expected to be without Struan Connor and Tom Milner."

Of their seven remaining league matches, five are away, with the only other home game being Birkenhead Park on April 7.

However, Morgan said: "With the way that we are playing at the moment, we will get enough points to be safe – indeed we almost are now."