Whitehaven 22 Hunslet 14: Hunslet fade away as McAvoy sparks revival

Barry Eaton’s side had led 14-10 against Whitehaven at half-time and were looking capable of producing a fifth Championship win of the season as they maintained that lead heading into the final stages.

However, their hopes disappeared when Scott McAvoy finally broke them in the 70th minute, Cain Southernwood adding his second conversion to give Whitehaven the advantage.

The South Leeds team pushed hard to recover but could not get the response they required and, cruelly, saw James Newton rub salt into the wounds with another converted try in the final seconds.

Hunslet had fallen behind to Chris Fleming’s 12th-minute score, which Southernwood had improved.

But they then took firm control with three tries in a profitable 10-minute spell.

Leeds Rhinos dual-registration player Liam Hood went over first before on-loan Widnes Vikings half-back Thomas Coyle added a second which was improved by Danny Ansell.

When centre Liam Welham added a third in the 26th minute, Hunslet – who had Leeds prop Richard Moore on the bench – were flying.

However, Papua New Guinea international Jessie Joe Parker, the former Featherstone Rovers centre, kept Whitehaven in touch when he responded three minutes later and it was the hosts who came away with the victory with that late flourish.

It was perhaps not surprising Hunslet tired towards the end given they had played champions Sheffield Eagles in a rearranged game last Wednesday, but the bonus point moved them up one place to 10th with Whitehaven up to sixth.

Whitehaven: Thorman, Fleming, McAvoy, Parker, Calvert, Rooney, Southernwood, Hand, Newton, Jackson, Doran, Clarke, Paterson. Substitutes: Sice, Culnean, Houghton, Crellin.

Hunslet: J. Watson, Mapals, Brickwood, Welham, Pryce, Coyle, Ansell, Yates, Hood, Haley, Houston, Haughey, March. Substitutes: Windley, Menzies, Moore, Achurch.

Referee: C Leatherbarrow (RFL).