Sheffield Tigers 17 v 27 Hull Ionians

There have been only a couple of games this season where Ionians haven’t picked up a bonus point of one kind or another. They didn’t get one against Sheffield Tigers, but there have been few games where the team deserved one more, given the level of determination and commitment shown at Dore Moor.
It was “only” a four point victory but the performance was a truly memorable display, full of tenacity and a cussedness not always evident, played in the usual driech weather encountered up on the tops in February.
Ionians got off to a flyer; they arrived down into the bottom corner, the result of a couple of early penalties, and from five yards out rumbled a cleanly taken line-out over for a try for Ben Stephenson. Lewis Minikin made it maximum points from the tee for a 0 – 7 lead.
The set back sparked a response from the Tigers and they drove up the mid-field with carries from the pack. Ionians repelled the initial pressure but fumbled an up and under, allowing Sheffield to gather and charge on, for second-row Hawksworth to dot down close to the posts. Mark Ireland made no mistake from the tee to bring things all square.
Minikin nudged Ionians back into the lead with a long-range penalty from directly in front of the posts, only for Ireland to mirror his performance two minutes later, to tie the scores once again.
Play went up and down the field as both sides looked to break the dead-lock. Ionians were awarded a penalty, allowing Ben Smith to find touch five yards from the home line. Ionians again secured the throw and the maul crabbed in field, with Ionians maintaining control, as they worked inexorably to the line. They eventually made it across, with Alan Hudson credited with the score. Minikin knocked over the conversion for a 10 -17 advantage, with 20 minutes gone.
The intensity ratched up a notch, with both sides showing commendable solidarity in defence. Unfortunately, Mr Yates mis-read the mood when he dispatched a player from each side to the bin, after little more than a handshake was exchanged between the pair.
On the stroke of half time Tigers profited from a rare lapse, with Ben Manderfield brushing aside tackles to break away. Good support took Tigers 40 yards forward and Dan Hawksworth was the last man in line to dive over for his second try. Ireland converted and both sides went to the dressing rooms with the stalemate maintained at 17 points apiece.
On the resumption Josh Britton dinked a kick over the on rushing defence and just failed to re-gather but Tigers were penalised at the breakdown and Minikin nudged Ionians back into the lead.
Free-flowing play was at a premium and what there was, was increasingly coming from the hosts. They fought their way into the opposition 22 but were repelled and had to make do with a long-range penalty attempt. It looked for all the world to be going over, only for the ball to bounce out off the crossbar.
James Sanderson grabbed the ball and Ionians cleared up towards half-way. Tigers tried to launch an attack but in the increasingly muddy conditions they dropped the ball. Minikin hacked the ball on and won the race to the line to gather and score at the base of the posts. He duly added the extras and Ionians had a 10 point lead, 17 – 27. There was still twenty minutes or more to go, could they hold on?
Buoyed by an excellent line-out, Tigers set about reducing the deficit. They had the visitor’s defence working over-time. If the team were on time and a half then the back row trio of Hudson, Sanderson and Lucas Powell were on double time, not that Ben Stephenson, Minikin and Britton were any less deserving.
The pitch was turning into a state that would have Andy Rowden in tears. That, and the finger numbing cold, lead to an increase in the handling errors which turned possession into a lottery and attracted vocal annoyance directed at the beleaguered officials.
The home team kept a grip (loosely speaking) on possession and by and large on territory, but couldn’t find a way through or past the resolute resistance the visitors constructed across the field.
Ionians posed a threat late on when Britton took the ball into contact and quickly re-cycled ball seemed to have opened a gap up the stand-side wing, however Tigers shut it out before Ionians could make anything of it and the clock ran down before any further action occurred on the illuminated score board.
It was an exceptional, assured performance from Ionians, no other words for it. Stand in supremo Alex Campbell deserves credit. When the best thing to do is nothing, then that is what should be done and that is what he did. Ionians used just two replacements; under the circumstance it was entirely the right call.
A week off to recuperate, then let’s take the confidence boost into the business end of the season.