Harrogate RUFC score six tries but still suffer comprehensive defeat to Hull Ionians RUFC

Already-relegated Harrogate RUFC were well-beaten on home soil by high-flying Hull Ionians. Pictures: Richard Bown

Harrogate RUFC ran in six tries when they hosted high-flying Hull Ionians, but still ended up losing the game by a significant margin.

The already-relegated Aces went down 72-40 in an action-packed National Two North encounter at Rudding Lane on Saturday afternoon, suffering their fourth consecutive defeat in the process.

Martyn Wood’s team made a flying start to proceedings and broke the deadlock with just two minutes played as Ben Raubitschek touched down and Rory Macnab converted for a 7-0 lead.

Ionians wasted little time responding, however, registering tries in quick succession. Ben Bell crossed in the fifth minute, followed by Alex Campbell in the eighth, with both efforts converted by former Harrogate star Lewis Minikin.

Minikin then broke through in midfield for a try which he converted, before ‘Gate got back into the match with tries from Tom Baxter and Martin Dodds.

With only the first of those two tries being converted, Ionians saw their advantage slashed to a slender two-point margin before tries from Sam Pocklington, after a 35-metre run, and Joe Makin put them back in control at 31-19.

There were no more points scored before the interval, however a strong start to the second period by the visitors led to them pulling well clear.

George Mewburn, Alfredo Celella and Pocklington again made it across the Harrogate try-line, with Minikin converting the first two of those three touchdowns.

Harrogate hit back through Sam Fenn, with that try converted by Raubitschek, before Celella and Alex Forth added unconverted scores for Ionians.

With just six minutes to go, Dodds got his second for Harrogate with Raubitschek again doing the business with the boot to add on an extra couple of points.

Immediately Ionians scored again when Celella completed his hat-trick, though the conversion was missed.

In a frantic ending to a frantic affair, Chris Jackson registered the Aces’ sixth try, also converted by Raubitschek, before Josh Britton intercepted on halfway and ran unopposed for Ionians 12th of the afternoon, which was converted as time ran out.

Saturday’s loss leaves ‘Gate second-from-bottom of the pile where they sit four points ahead of basement boys Blaydon, who provide the opposition for Wood’s men’s next fixture. Kick-off is scheduled for 3pm on April 15.