Having already suffered a pre match injury to player coach, Mike Aspinall, Harrogate lost hooker, Aarin Yorke with an eye injury after 10 minutes. Replacement, Harry Hannan had his best game for the Club to date. After 12 minutes, he supported an inventive three-quarter move to score the first try, converted by Rowntree.

The next try came from the ever dangerous Steve Parsons who scythed through the Hull defence to score on his opposite wing.

Attempted Ionians counters were thwarted by sound Harrogate defence to keep the half time score at 12-0.

The second half opened with Hull again trying to exert control but good home tackling kept them out. However, a series of driving mauls was eventually rewarded by a try from flanker, Danny Hague.

Harrogate then got back into the driving seat and a Kyle Dench break lead to another slick back move and a Sam Bottomley try. Rowntree’s touchline conversion made it 19-5.

By now, the home pack was in complete control with 2nd row, Jake Brady at the heart of everything. The game ended with Harrogate striving for the bonus point try and replacement winger, Chris Harris came close when following up a cross kick but knocked on over the line.

This was the first time that Harrogate had had a lady referee for a 1st team game. Clare Daniels proved to be one of the best referees they’ve had this season.

Harrogate: Smithies, Rowntree (Harris 71), Bottomley, Dench, Parsons, R Davies, Wickham (Aspinall 67), Browne, Yorke (Hannan 11), S Davies (Metcalfe 64), Spencer, Brady (Burns 75), Sowerey, Heaton, Lewis.

Hull Ionians: Wright, Slingsby, Greene, Whittam, Marns, Ferguson, Bartlett, Starling, Mortimer, Longbone, Makin, Rule, Hague, Wigham, Kench

Referee: Clare Daniels (Somerset).