Match Report: (A) Ilkley L 8-31

Hull had a reality check on their trip to Ilkley. Their commitment and effort were never in doubt but the inability of the Hull side to retain possession gave Ilkley all the ball they needed to inflict the first defeat of the season on Hull.
Ilkley started well and looked to score in the first couple of minutes but knocked on with the line at their mercy. After five minutes Ilkley went ahead when their scrum half Joe Rowntree converted a penalty from thirty five yards out.
Hull recovered but after thirteen minutes when their efforts were rewarded with a chance of a penalty the kick was missed.Five minutes later Hull were back on the home sides line and looked in control but when their catch and drive was held up short of the line Ilkley retrieved possession and swept downfield and an astute cross kick found their right winger Luke Freer completely unmarked to go over for a try converted by Rowntree after eighteen minutes .
Hull gathered themselves and were soon back in Ilkley territory .
As they pounded the home side’s try line it was Ilkley who who seemed under the greatest pressure and when their second row man Davies was yellow carded it seemed Hull mist score. Ilkley’s response was to disrupt Hull’s scrum five yards out and clear their lines.
With half time approaching Hull kept the momentum going and after thirty five minutes Hull’s full back Tomasi Tanumi got Hull on the score board with a penalty goal and the visitors were in the ascendancy.the forwards drove towards the try line and with the home defence stretched the ball was moved wide to Hull’s left winger George Fossey who seemed to have scored in the corner but he had been adjudged to have put foot in touch. Hull’s disappointment was compounded as they quickly made a couple of errors which saw Ilkley sweep into the Hull half. From the ensuing lineout in the Hull twenty metre area their second row man Mitchell burst through to score a try converted by his scrum half Rowntree after thirty nine minutes which meant that a score line which moments before looked like being 10-10 was in fact in Ilkley’s favour 17-3 advantage at half time.
The second half saw Hull start well but after Hull’s Joe Stafford was sin binned for a hand in the ruck after forty seven minutes Ilkley took full advantage with their second row man Davies being credited with a try which Rowntree converted. Hull had chances of their own as prop Thornton burst through after fifty four minutes but the visitors could not capitalise until Joe Stafford scored Hull’s only try on sixty two minutes after a text book forward drive to the line but the conversion was missed . 
The final word was to go to Ilkley when their pacy full back Magee raced fifty yards through a tiring Hull defence to score the final try converted by Rowntree to see his side home 31-8.