York Knights Achieve Historic Third Consecutive Super League Victory, Overcoming Hull FC 20-16

The York Knights celebrated a historic achievement by securing their third consecutive Super League victory for the first time in the club’s history, defeating Hull FC 20-16. This match marked a continuation of Hull’s struggles away from home, as they managed only one win in their away games this season.

Knights Overcome Half-Time Deficit

Trailing 16-8 at half-time, the Knights rallied to clinch their sixth victory of the season, moving them up to ninth place in the standings and surpassing Hull FC. The match featured tries from David Nofoaluma, Jon Bennison, Denive Balmforth, and Nikau Williams, with Bennison contributing two successful kicks. This performance added to Hull’s woes, as they had initially taken the lead after scoring three tries in a span of 12 minutes.

Hull FC’s Early Dominance

The Knights opened the scoring with two tries. Nofoaluma found the corner of the end zone just eight minutes into the match, followed by Bennison’s try, which came after two clever chip kicks from Cody Hunter, putting York ahead 8-0. However, Hull responded with a moment of brilliance from Aidan Sezer, who slalomed through the Knights’ defense to score his first try since September 2025.

Following Sezer’s try, Tom Briscoe capitalized on a training-ground routine to score another try for Hull, and Joe Batchelor completed the turnaround with a well-executed offload from Hugo Salabio. With Zak Hardaker converting both tries, Hull entered the break with a strong lead.

Knights’ Second-Half Resurgence

York’s comeback began early in the second half with a try from Balmforth, who danced through the defense, followed by a successful conversion from Bennison. A penalty from Bennison leveled the score at 16-16, highlighting Hull’s disciplinary issues, which saw them concede six penalties within the first 20 minutes of the second half.

Williams then broke through the Hull defense to score, giving York the lead and visibly draining Hull’s confidence. Despite Hull’s attempts to regain control, York’s defense held firm, with veteran hooker Paul McShane making a crucial tackle to dislodge the ball from Herman Ese’ese just inches from the try line.

Coaches’ Reactions

Mark Applegarth, head coach of York Knights, expressed pride in his team’s character. He acknowledged the challenges faced in the second half but emphasized the importance of their response after half-time. Applegarth noted that the team had to defend heavily in the final minutes but praised their grit and determination.

In contrast, Hull FC’s interim head coach Andy Last expressed disappointment with his team’s performance. He highlighted a lack of discipline and attitude, particularly in the second half. Last acknowledged that the team had discussed the importance of maintaining pressure but failed to execute their game plan effectively.

Team Lineups

York Knights

• Starting Players: Mataafa, Bennison, Galeano, Williams, Nofoaluma, Hunter, McShane; Martin, Inman, Va’a, Buchanan, Field, Thompson.
• Interchanges: Balmforth, Vaughan, Foster, Hingano.

Hull FC

• Starting Players: Moy, Barron, Briscoe, Hardaker, Martin, Arthur, Sezer; Ese’ese, Bourouh, Hill, O’Neill, Batchelor, Bell.
• Interchanges: Aydin, Clark, Cust, Salabio.

The match was officiated by referee Tara Jones.

As reported by www.bbc.co.uk.

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Published on 2026-07-10 02:19:00 • By FAME Delivered News Desk