Unusual conditions greeted the Beverley Braves for this derby match with a pitch made unpredictable by having a thick layer of cut grass covering the whole field.
After an interesting home fixture where Beverley just missed a victory they were keen to make amends. Isberg kicked off but the ball went over the dead ball line to give Beverley a chance to attack.
Within minutes they shocked the home side with a clever try as full back Joe Wardill ran through the line and made a long looping pass to the wing which Harry Inman collected cleanly and powered over for a great try.
Wardill added the difficult conversion and it was game on. This was the perfect start for the Braves and as Isberg kicked off Harry Bell expertly picked up a difficult ball to commence another attacking set.
Bailey Clark ran hard and strong and gained impressive yards in the middle of the pitch and his power and dominance is evident every week. Beverley had to defend as Isberg ran hard and a good ball out wide could have easily secured the home side’s first points but for Tom Wood who tackled the winger thwarting their move.
Nathan Collinson was unlucky not to score at the other end as an intelligent scoot saw him held up just shy of the white wash. Another fast run from Clark up the pitch resulted in James McGahey securing the points as he ran hard onto the ball and his pace and power could not be stopped for a well deserved try.
Wardill added the extras and Beverley looked confident. Jay Black, as always, cleanly distributed the ball around the pitch. The Braves were regularly tested by a tough Isberg side and only good defensive team sets and strong tackling from Connor Davies kept them pinned back. Winger Conor Egan ran the ball out well to ease the pressure and then Beverley bombarded Isberg with high balls which they dealt with very effectively.
Persistent pressure though and hard running was finally rewarded when Wardill ran over the line and then converted his own try to bring the half time score to a deserved 0 – 18.
It was important that the Braves continued to dominate and quash any Isberg attack and every player on the pitch played their part. Dylan Clifford was a powerhouse until a nasty clash with his own player saw him carried off with a knee injury.
Beverley thought they had scored and then quickly had to defend but a determined Zak Mayo picked up a problematic ball and powered it out of their half. Credit must go to Isberg though as they kept on pushing and secured their first try finding a way through the tight defensive line.
The Braves regrouped and made some excellent strong drives, Tony Usher hitting the players hard. Will Johnson took his try well with a powerful run looking strong, fast and proving unstoppable.
Wardill kicked well again and Beverley looked confident. Darren Benstead who is formidable when accelerating secured another try shortly after to quell any thoughts of a comeback for Hull and with Wardill kicking the two the game had gone beyond their reach.
Charlie MacMillan had another quality game with his confidence growing every week. Beverley kept their foot on the accelerator as Keenan Barker gained valuable yards down the pitch and a lovely team move saw the ball switch to the opposite wing into the hands of powerful centre Johnson who forced his way over the white wash. Wardill kicked to give the Braves the victory.
Final Score Hull Isberg 6 Beverley Braves 36 | Reported by Sue Wardill
