Strong Hull attacking play was an early feature with the veteran Murphy brothers providing good ball to set up attacks. Tigerish Harrogate defence kept the visitors at bay and the home side gradually got on top. Chris Wilson provided a stream of good line-out ball and thunderous forward drives from Nathan Smith, Jake Brady and Tim Heaton delivered possession to Phil Wickham who combined well with Callum Irvine to set up attacks from Kyle Dench, Steve Parsons and Sam Bottomley.

Joe Rowntree was tackled just short of the line after a telling counter attack from deep but Harrogate set up a driving maul from the subsequent line-out. Heaton drove strongly and the ball was spun left to Dench whose well weighted pass put Parsons clear for a try, converted by Rowntree.

A dazzling Wilson run then cut through Hull’s defence and he cleverly gathered his own chip ahead. He made further ground and Bottomley supported well for another Harrogate converted try. A Hull counter attack seemed to have created a certain try but a knock-on ended the move.

A surprising refereeing decision bemused the crowd after the interval. He correctly ruled that the ball hadn’t been thrown in straight from a Hull line and that it hadn’t gone the required 5 metres. Astonishingly, he then told the Hull hooker to concentrate more on what he was doing and to take the throw-in again. Harrogate went offside from the retaken line-out and James Cameron’s kick gave Hull their first points. Substitutions from both sides seemed to be to Hull’s advantage and they mounted telling attacks. Harrogate’s defence held up well with brilliant Irvine line kicking keeping the home side in contention. A Hull line-out offence led to a Harrogate free kick and Bottomley cut through the defence. He was checked just short of the line but Hooker, Aarin Yorke was on hand to drive over and score. Rowntree’s attempted conversion bounced off the upright.

A series of Hull driving mauls resulted in a converted try from substitute Joe Stafford and the visitors’ attacks continued. A Cameron penalty brought Hull to within 6 points of Harrogate and then some indecisive Harrogate defensive play led to a Hull penalty and attacking line-out. Stafford drove over for his second try but the failed conversion gave Harrogate the narrowest of wins.

Harrogate: Rowntree, Parsons, Dench, Bottomley, Parrish (L Minikin 40), Irvine, Wickham (Matthews 52), Metcalfe, Yorke, Browne ( Musetti 67), Brady, Wilson, (Johnson 67), Adair (N Minikin 67), Smith, Heaton

Hull: Lound, Thoy, Heard, Law, Lespierre (Slater 64), Cameron, Haddow, Lloyd, Kay (Lamping 52), Dias, C Murphy (Stafford 52), P Murphy, Argyle, Sullivan ( Socino 64), Cook

Referee: Will Halford (RFU)

Match Report by Bill Barrack
Photos by Richard Bown and David Aspinall