Hull 97-0 Vale of Lune

Front runners for promotion Hull faced struggling Vale of Lune for the first time at the Hull Sports Centre on Saturday and it was the hosts who recorded a convincing 97-0 victory.
Fergus Owens. Picture: Tony NorthFergus Owens. Picture: Tony North
Fergus Owens. Picture: Tony North

Vale were without a number of their regular players and they suffered their heaviest ever league defeat, and for the second time this season failed to score any points.

The Vale were simply overwhelmed and the writing was on the wall as early as the fourth minute when with the wind at their backs and the goal posts swaying alarmingly, Hull posted the first of their 15 tries when winger Michael Adlard streaked over in a sign of things to come.

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Stand-off Simon Humberstone kicked the conversion, his first of 11 successful attempts.

Hull piled on the points and agony at regular intervals and by half time they had established a nightmarish lead of 56 points.

A rampant Hull side were quickly into their stride in the second 40 with an unconverted try after a couple of minutes, and from a Vale perspective a century loomed.

There was no easing up from the home side, the scoreboard tracked Vale’s downfall but there was the occasional flash of defiance from the Vale.

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Fergus Owens made a solo run from deep before the cover engulfed him, Adam Foxcroft made a promising break before the hamstring seized up, and Luke Ford wrestled his way out of tackles but Hull were always quick to shut down any threat of danger and for the third time this season they prevented the opposition from scoring.

With the game drawing to a close, Vale made their first visit into Hull’s five metre zone but from their own line out possession was lost and the net result was that Hull used up the last of their fuel in the afterburners to rocket their way up field for an unconverted try in the second minute of extra time.

The try scorers for Hull were wingers Steve Hihetah and Michael Adlard with five and four respectively, centre Ali Heard collected a brace as did wing forward,Thomas O’Donnell with replacement Keane Naylor and centre Steve Johnson bagging one each in what had been a whirlwind performance.

While Hull are destined for higher things, Vale are desperately clinging on for survival in the league and on Saturday at Powderhouse Lane they will be embroiled in a make or break fixture against fellow strugglers Lymm.

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A five pointer should go a long way for either side to momentarily lift their fears of the drop but even so the six games which are due to follow are fraught with danger for not only Vale and Lymm but also Wilmslow and Kendal who are also scrambling to find a way out of a crater of doom.