York Knights 20-16 Hull FC : Match Report

York Knights picked up another two valuable points in Betfred Super League with a 20-16 win over Hull FC at the LNER Community Stadium.

An unchanged York side were looking for their third consecutive win, after back to back victories over Castleford Tigers and Huddersfield Giants.

They did it with another performance which showed persistence in defence and a clinical edge in attack, to do the double over the Black and Whites.

After trailing by eight points at half time, Mark Applegarth’s side started the second half quickly to bring the scores level, and Nikau Williams’ try with twenty minutes to go proved to be the winner.

David Nofoaluma opened the scoring when the Knights took advantage of back to back sets after forcing a drop out. Good hands from Cody Hunter and Toa Mata’afa shifted the ball wide to the left and the wingman’s pace did the rest. Hunter couldn’t convert from the touchline.

Hull hit straight back with some try line pressure, and a cross field kick from Aiden Sezer gave them a good chance, only for Logan Moy to knock on with the line in front of him.

With momentum with York, it was a Hull error that led to the next try, when Harvey Barron couldn’t deal with a long kick downfield. York collected the loose ball, allowing Hunter to put the kick up and Jon Bennison picked it up to weave his way over.

A missed tackle 40 metres out from the York line then allowed Hull to get their first points of the game, when Aiden Sezer broke through to score beneath the posts. Zak Hardaker converted to close the deficit to two.

The momentum started to swing the way of the Black and Whites, and they took the lead for the first time through Tom Briscoe, who went low at the York defence on the last of the set to find a way through.

Hull FC were starting to move the ball better, and when Sezer released Barron down the wing with men in support, they looked like scoring again. However a knock on meant York survived as Hull started to find their groove.

When former Knight, Joe Batchelor found his way over after Hugo Salabio was held just short, Hardaker's conversion gave them an eight point lead at the break.

Denive Balmforth continued his try scoring form just after the restart as the Knights built a spell of pressure. York kept the ball alive on the last of the set, and worked it to the hooker to scoot over. Bennison took over the kicking duties and added the goal.

Bennison then tagged on a penalty when Nikau Williams was obstructed while chasing a Hunter kick near the Hull line. York were back in it and the scores were level.

They went on to regain the lead from another Hunter kick. This time, Williams raced through cleanly to touch down.

Williams again went through to get to a Hunter kick, but after the video referee reviewed the grounding, his effort was ruled out.

With less than ten minutes left on the clock, it was turning into a tense finish.

What followed was a real spell of Hull pressure near York’s line. Herman Ese’Ese crashed over the line, and after the video referee took a look, he was deemed not to have scored.

A York knock on gave Hull another chance to try to snatch the game with just under two minutes left, only for them to squander it with a dropped ball of their own.

As the clock ticked down, York played the game out, with McShane drilling the ball into touch with no time for the restart. It meant York had done the double over the Black and Whites and claimed a memorable win.

York: Mata’afa, Bennison, Galeano, Williams, Nofoaluma, Hunter, McShane, Martin, Inman, Va’a, Buchanan, Field, Thompson

Subs: (all used) Balmforth, Vaughan, Foster, Hingano

18th Player: Dagger

Tries: Nofoaluma (9), Bennison (19), Balmforth (43), Williams (61)

Goals: Hunter (0/2), Bennison (2/3)

Hull FC: Moy, Barron, Briscoe, Hardaker, Martin, Arthur, Sezer, Ese’ese, Borough, Hill, O’Neill, Batchelor, Bell

Subs: (all used) Aydin, Clark, Cust, Salabio

18th Player: Laidlaw

Tries: Sezer (24), Briscoe (30), Batchelor (37)

Goals: Hardaker (2/3)

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