However, against the League leaders, they put in a barnstorming performance and were within one score of winning till Ionians edged ahead at the end of the match.

Ionians took an early lead after Harrogate possession was turned over. Centre, Joe Barker’s break was well supported by Mike Bateman who dived over to score. However, Harrogate soon went ahead when Callum Irvine’s dummy took him through the midfield defence for an excellent individual converted try.

The lead proved to be short lived. Andy Boyde made an early tackle from a Hull quick penalty. He was dispatched to the sin bin and Isaac Green duly kicked the resulting second penalty. An even period of play followed and an unlucky bounce prevented Harrogate from taking the lead after a charge-down. A dust-up near the Harrogate line led to a Hull penalty and an attacking line-out. Kerry Wood won turnover ball and this led to another dust-up. Wood was sent to the bin and a penalty try was awarded to Hull from the scrum which followed. The 14 man Harrogate team continued to take the game to Hull and an Irvine penalty made it 10-15 at half time after a Hull offside offence.

Ionians attacks were well contained by Harrogate’s defence after the resumption. However, they made quick use of a strike against the head at a home scrum and the ball was spun to Sam Wilson who scored a converted try. Harrogate continued to test the visiting defence with powerful forward drives from the outstanding Willem Enslin, well supported by Boyde, Jake Brady,Tom Harvey & Wood. Danny Matthews & Irvine set up streams of attacks and a clever Matthews chip was seized on by the dynamic Luke Edwards who crashed through the defence to score.

At this stage, Harrogate were in the ascendency and desperate Hull defence gave away a stream of penalties. An Irvine kick made it 18-22 and the Harrogate attacks continued. However a knock-on lost them possession after a break out from defence and Hull quickly spun the ball to Luke Thundercliffe who scored the game’s final converted try. In almost the last move of the match, a Harrogate attack was stopped by a head high tackle. Chris Reakes was binned for the offence but there wasn’t enough time for Harrogate to take advantage of the situation.

Harrogate: Frost, Bottomley, Minikin, Edwards, Morland, Irvine, Matthews, Boyde, Nyemba, Reavely, Brady, Harvey, Yorke, Wood, Enslin. Subs used:- Kirkley, R Johnson, Barnard, Aspinall

Hull Ionians: Bateman, Wilson, L Thundercliffe, Barker, Slingsvy, Reakes, Green, Laverick, Thompson, S Johnson, Makin, Sanders, Socino, Torkington, Hague. Subs (all used) J Thundercliffe, Forth, Campbell, Cowen, Thomas

Referee: Ben Blaine (RFU)

Match report by Bill Barrack
Photos by David Aspinall and Richard Bown.

Click HERE to download Souvenir Programme