First-half try blitz helps Ionians put Students in their place

Hull Ionians completed their home National One fixtures with a 38-27 victory over Loughborough Students at Brantingham Park.
Sandal's James Briscoe scores.Sandal's James Briscoe scores.
Sandal's James Briscoe scores.

Ionians scored most of their points in the first half, with full-back Michael Bateman, wing-forward Joseph Maud, second-row Joe Makin and flanker Laurence Cowen scoring tries. Centre Greg Lound kicked three conversions for a 31-10 lead.

After the break, Maud added another which Lound converted, but three second-half tries from the students narrowed the gap as their fitness began to impact.

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Sandal ran out 34-12 winners over Yorkshire rivals Otley in National Two North. Flanker James Briscoe scored a try in each half, and stand-off Greg Wood and centre Simon Frewin also touched down, and Wood also kicked four conversions and two penalties.

Centre Mike Coady and winger James Wood scored Otley’s try and Stephen Depledge added a conversion.

Harrogate’s strong defence proved key as they won 29-17 against Tynedale at Rudding Lane.

Winger Harry Barnard and centre Luke Edwards scored their tries, and full-back Lewis Minikin kicked five penalties and two conversions to seal the win.

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Huddersfield edged to a 29-28 win over Broadstreet at Lockwood Park in a meeting of two sides heading for relegation.

Flanker Lewis Bradley scored for Huddersfield early on, only for the visitors to run in three converted tries and lead at the break.

Full-back Tom Hodson ran in two second-half tries, and Lewis Workman and Henry Ward also scored as Huddersfield scraped a win with Chris Bell’s last-minute conversion.

National Three North champions Sheffield Tigers ended their campaign with their first home defeat of the season when they were pipped 28-27 by Ilkley despite scoring four tries to the visitors’ two.

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Sheffield also had a defeat inflicted on them by a West Yorkshire side when they lost 27-19 at relegated Huddersfield YMCA.

YMCA collected a four-try bonus but Stockport, the team they could in theory have overtaken, were decisive winners at Birkenhead Park.

Hull faced relegated Burnage and won 22-17 but made hard work of the contest, having to come from behind late on.

Hull led 12-10 at the break with tries from Joe Martin and Harvey Harding. But a try after the restart put Burnage in front. Tom Price crashed over to reduce the arrears on 76 minutes and Joe Stafford spared Hull’s blushes with a try just before the whistle.

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Doncaster Phoenix, who were already assured of the North One East title, were handed a shock 43-10 home defeat by third-placed Alnwick.

Phoenix lost full-back Dan Porter with a broken ankle after 10 minutes, following a similar injury to Will Burden at Morley a week earlier.

Alnwick ran in six tries, while Phoenix were restricted to one by No 8 Ryan Peacey, which Jamie Lennard converted as well as landing a penalty just on half-time, at which point Doncaster were only five points adrift.

Morley, who are assured of second place and still have a game in hand, won 28-12 in their game at Wheatley Hills.

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Bradford and Bingley ended their successful Yorkshire One campaign with a flourish when they ran in eight tries on their way to a 57-28 victory at neighbours Bradford Salem.

Centre Taylor Fiddes scored a hat-trick and left winger Nick Gore added two more.

Runners-up Malton and Norton were 43-22 home winners over fourth-placed Hullensians, who salvaged a four-try bonus.

Malton will play off against Durham and Northumberland runners-up Middlesbrough for the third promotion place.

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Selby scraped a 33-31 home win over mid-table Scarborough to avoid relegation, but Old Crossleyans, who needed to win and for Selby to lose, were themselves defeated 20-13 at home to Old Brodleians and will go down along with West Park Leeds.

West Leeds secured their place in Yorkshire One next season as their 20-18 win over second-placed Keighley saw them crowned Yorkshire Two champions.