Hull secured another secured maximum points to keep the pressure on the top two by beating Kendal 38-5 at Chants Ave.
The early exchanges saw Kendal with a fair share of possession and territory but it was a Hull counter attack from deep in their own half that resulted in the first try after 13 minutes.
Good work by Hull’s pack had brought the ball into the Kendal half and a bullocking break and neat pass by centre Joey Martin enabled winger Stephen Hihetah to score near the posts with off-half Steve Johnson adding the conversion.
Hull were able to put further pressure on the visitors but sound defence kept Hull at bay until the 39th minute, when they mounted another long-range counter attack that saw the whole team get involved with the ball finally arriving in Hihetah’s hands before he beat a couple of defenders on the way to his second try which Johnson converted.
Hull’s half time lead of 14-0 was quickly increased in the second period when Hihetah received the ball 50 yards out and beat five would-be tacklers on his way to his third try of the game which Johnson duly converted from wide out.
Kendal responded well and were able to take advantage of some injudicious kicking by Hull which allowed them field position.
The scrum-half/winger Dini Noyo was given all the space he needed to bounce up from three tackles to sprint under the posts for his side’s only score of the game after 55 minutes.
The last quarter belonged to Hull as they retained possession more convincingly that they had done in the first half and after 60 minutes, winger Callum Lancaster was on hand to complete a 15-phase move when he touched down in the left hand corner to with Johnson adding a magnificent touchline conversion.
On 73 minutes Hull’s prop Mike Dias was yellow carded but this seemed to have little effect as it was followed on seventy three minutes by Hull’s seven man scrum demolishing the Kendal eight allowing Johnson to kick the resulting 40 yard penalty goal.
As the final whistle approached Hull rounded of a convincing display with a try by back row substitute Oliver Dynan as he backed up well to plunge over for a try converted by Johnson who recorded his sixth successful kick out of six attempts to see Hull home and dry 38-5.
by Richard Gore
HULL RUGBY UNION FOOTBALL CLUB 