Hull FC Reserves were made to pay for a sluggish start as they suffered a 24-20 defeat to Bradford Bulls Reserves at the Horsfall Stadium.
Hull were 8-0 behind inside three minutes, and then 20-4 down later in the first-half.
Elliot Middlemas scored a brace and Lloyd Kemp crossed, but it was Waldimar Matahwa’s early second-half try that proved to be the match winner for Bradford.
The Match
In a freak start to the game, Bradford’s kick off almost ran dead, but in Callum Barfield’s attempts to keep the ball alive, he palmed it back into the in-goal area for Sam Ackroyd to dot down and give the Bulls a gift-wrapped lead inside 20 seconds.
Ackroyd turned provider a couple of minutes later. Hull were stunned as his grubber kick was grounded by Harvey Duckworth. Fewer than three minutes in and FC were 8-0 down.
The deficit was reduced when Joe Ward got early ball and fended off Lewis Hagan to score.
But the Bulls ran in another two tries, Finley Balback and Hagan registering another quickfire double for the hosts, who were good value for their first-half lead.
Yet Hull grew into the half and gave themselves plenty to fight for ahead of the second-half. A well-measured kick from Joe Thompson was claimed by wing man Elliot Middlemas before he was able to wrestle the ball to the ground.
Half-Time: Bulls Reserves 20-8 Hull Reserves
Hull’s hard work to reduce the arrears before the break was undone just four minutes into the second-half. Waldimar Matahwa finished in the corner thanks to a tidy cutout ball from Balback.
The visitors returned serve five minutes later as the tries kept coming. This time, a cutout pass from Lloyd Kemp allowed Middlemas to step inside and burrow over for his second of the evening.
Back to within ten points and the Black & Whites began knocking. Callum Kemp’s kick to the corner was nearly finished by Callum Barfield, but the winger had strayed into touch before grounding the ball.
Callum Kemp did successfully assist a try to set up a tense finish in West Yorkshire with ten minutes to go. His delayed ball spooked the Bradford defence and a gap opened, which Lloyd Kemp coasted through.
Only four points separated the sides and Hull had all of the momentum – they just couldn’t find a way to break down Bradford’s defence for a fifth time.
FC thought they had snatched it in the final minute when Zach Jebson’s tidy footwork unpicked the Bulls defence, but as the back-rower strolled in underneath the posts, the referee penalised Hull for an obstruction.
There was still time for one final Hail Mary. But Callum Kemp overhit his crossfield kick to Middlemas. It sailed into touch and the Bulls celebrated a narrow victory to start the season.
Full-Time: Bulls Reserves 24-20 Hull Reserves
Squads & Scorers
Bulls: Rayner. Rice, Hagan, Duckworth, Matahwa, Ackroyd, Balback, Bate, Ott, Bateman, Leyson, Peposhi, Gray
Bulls Interchanges: Gill, Mason, McKinley, Owens
Bulls Tries: Ackroyd, Duckworth, Balback, Hagan, Matahwa
Bulls Goals: Balback (2/4)
Hull: L Kemp, Barfield, Johnson, Ward, Middlemas, Thompson, C Kemp, Gardiner, Hutchinson, Wilson, Clark, Kirby, Jebson
Hull Interchanges: Haldenby, Swyer, Turner, Wainhouse
Hull Tries: Ward, Middlemas (2), L Kemp
Hull Goals: Thompson (0/2), C Kemp (2/2)
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