Huddersfield forced to hang on against the Nuns as Hull finally break Caldy jinx thanks to Dorrington

NATIONAL TWO NORTH

Nuneaton 18

Huddersfield lost their lead in the final 10 minutes and ended up fortunate not to lose the game.

This was in stark contrast to Huddersfield's 57-13 thrashing of their opponents when they met earlier in the season but keeps them nine points ahead of them in the table.

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Nuneaton took the lead with a penalty which was duly cancelled out by the boot of Chris Johnson just before the half-hour. Johnson then stroked over a well-worked drop-goal but it was the home side who led 8-6 at the interval following an unconverted score by their winger Andy Murray.

Huddersfield, who had been guilty of an unconvincing first half including too many unforced errors, then fell further behind a minute after the break when winger Elliot Brown raced through and Jack Jolly converted.

However, the visitors finally managed to inject some fluency into their game and finally crossed the line following a number of phases when scrum-half Joel Hinchliffe sold a neat dummy to dive over, Johnson adding the conversion to take them within two points.

They then took the lead when second-row Gavin Rhodes crashed over but the generally relaible Johnson was unable to add what proved to be the all-important conversion.

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Nuneaton hit back with a penalty to level things with seven minutes left and they then had a golden opportunity to win it late on.

Taking the ball forward, they were awarded a kickable penalty but chose instead to keep their momentum going and when their progression ended, the penalty advantage had gone and the chance was lost much to Huddersfield's relief.

Hull 28

Caldy 24

Hull came out on top in a scintillating contest at the Ferens Ground after a second-half fightback from Caldy almost ruined Hull's excellent first half performance.

Will Robinson started Hull's scoring when he collected the ball 45 metres out and used his pace to sidestep his way to the line.

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James Cameron converted before getting on the scoresheet two minutes later when Ben Dorrington's charge down on the right flank forced the ball loose

and back towards the Caldy line where Cameron won the race to touch down before converting the try.

With 10 minutes of the half remaining, Cameron scored again when he gained possession 35 metres out and chipped into space to regather before the defence could recover and score the try before adding the conversion.

Within six minutes of the restart, Caldy fly-half Richard Vasey spotted Daniel Rowlands open on the right and sent the winger in to score with Vasey converting.

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Vasey scored a 30-metre penalty soon after before Gavin Roberts closed the gap further with a try converted by Vasey, leaving Caldy four points adrift with 20 minutes left.

Hull wrapped things up with Dorrington's bonus-point try five minutes later when he collected Cameron's long pass to score. Cameron converted.

Adam Aigbokhae kept Caldy's comeback hopes alive in the last five minutes when he scored from a quick overlap on the wing but Hull held on to beat the visitors for the first time in National League rugby.

Luctonians 26

Hull Ionians 24

Hull Ionians made the perfect start against a strong Luctonians team and an excellent comeback in the final quarter gained them both a losing and a four-try bonus point.

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In between, however, Ionians let the home pack dominate possession to build a 26-7 lead that could well have been overhauled had the match gone on any longer.

Ionians' Oli Marns raced in after just three minutes, Adam Thomas adding the touchline conversion, but then Luctonians controlled for the next hour to cross four times themselves.

Ionians had their chances but too many early passes went astray.

Good fast ball saw Luctonians full-back Charlie Meredith cut through twice in the sixth and 15th minutes, Will Hodnet adding the conversions, and just before the break support play saw off-half Alex James through the gap to score.

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Two yellow cards saw Hull Ionians down to 13 men for a spell and Luctonians rolled the resulting attacking line-out forwards for prop Tony Marfell to score, Hodnet again converting.

Back to 14 men, Ionians struck twice in two minutes, moving it wide to set up Will Heylings to race in to score in each corner.

Hull Ionians now dominated, helped by well-placed kicks by James Ferguson.

The pressure reduced Luctonians to 14 men following a sin-binning offence and the attacking line-out saw Albert Thundercliffe racing through to touch down with Isaac Green kicking the conversion.

Hull Ionians attacked again but Luctonians stood firm in the remaining four minutes to move above Caldy into fifth.

Morley's game with Manchester was postponed because of a frozen pitch.