Hull will be buoyed up after they received the five points for Huddersfield’s inability to field a side due to injuries earlier in the season. With three games to play and with Rotherham, Sedgley Park and Stourbridge, who can mathematically able to overhaul them, Hull need seven points to be sure of promotion. Those three games are against tough opponents where Hull can take nothing for granted.
The first of these games sees Hull take on Fylde. Fylde have had a good season beating Rotherham at home showing they can clearly turn it on when the chips are down. However, some big winning margins against some of the lower sides in the division need to be seen in the context of losses by a margin against Sedgley Park and narrow losses away to Hull Ionians and last week away at Stourbridge.
It will be a tricky fixture away from home for Hull who won the corresponding fixture before Christmas by just five points.
Hull’s pack have been a handful for every side this year and coach Gary Pearce says he will have a full squad of forwards to select his most effective starting unit and impact players from.
Back row player Will Hall, who failed a late fitness test last week, returns as does hooker Ali Thompson who is available once more, and so is Jamie Major who made a promising debut at hooker last week. Props Charlie Beech, Ben Bootham, Tip Kivalu, Mike Jobling and Mike Dias are all fit so Hull’s front row which has played such a pivotal roll this season, will be a strong unit whoever gets starting or impact rolls.
In the backs, centre Steve Johnson returns the squad. Hull’s threequarters have been scoring freely of late with wingers Keane Naylor and Mike Adlard and full-back Reece Dean regularly on the score sheet.
Hull are capable of taking on and beating the best in this league, and on their day, Fylde are definitely in that category. It will be a tough task against a side who have nothing to lose by throwing everything at Hull. Hull can definitely win, but it will need all their skills and togetherness aided by their outstanding defence to come away with the points.
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