Rossendale dent promotion hopes

Hull all but saw their chance of a play off place disappear as they lost a physical encounter to a slightly more precise Rossendale side who held out against Hull’s late rally.
Rossendale had first use of the steep incline on their pitch but were unable to breach Hull’s defences for for the first twenty minutes.The visitors had a good chance to open the scoring after five minutes but a dropped pass saw the chance slip away.
After a tense opening quarter of an hour Hull were well in contention but then Rossendale applied great pressure on the Hull line and when they were adjudged to have been prevented from scoring illegally Hull suffered the double blow of conceding a penalty try and having scrum half Harvey Harding yellow
carded .
Worse was follow as Hull’s kick off failed to go ten yards and Rossendale won the ensuing scrum and immediately gained good field position and their back row Dominic Moon man peeled off the side of a maul to plunge over for another try which off half Nutt converted again to put his side 14-0 in the lead after twenty two minutes.
Using the slope to full advantage Rossendale were able to keep up their intensity and ten minutes later a good handling move saw the field open up and their winger Atiola romp over for his side’s third converted try to them with a considerable 21-0 advantage.
Hull responded and were able to reduce the margin with a penalty from their off half Tyler Price after a surge by their forwards to go in at half time trailing by 21-3.
The second half started in dramatic fashion when Rossendale had two players yellow carded in quick succession seeing their winger George Peel and centre Jack Ward dismissed .
Hull were now able to exert great pressure themselves but despite having much of the ball for a ten minute spell could only manage to score a penalty through the boot of Tyler Price.
Hull were now desperate for a try to get back into contention but a great break by full back Lee Birch came to nothing after fifty four minutes and a concerted drive after a catch and drive after sixty four minutes was thwarted as the ball was lost in contact.
Hull never relented in their attempts to get back on terms and a late Tomasi Tanumi try converted by Lee Birch after Rossendale had sustained another yellow card was too late to affect the result and Hull were left to reflect on the chances that slipped away in this top of table encounter.