Hull Dockers from the National Conference League were hopeful of claiming the scalp of League One side the Midlands Hurricanes when the two sides met for a second round Challenge Cup fixture at the home of Hull KR, Craven Park.
The Dockers hammered the Rhondda Outlaws in the first round a fortnight ago and were hoping that they could inflict the same misery on the Hurricanes that Rochdale Hornets had last year when they eliminated them from the Challenge Cup in the second round.
The Hurricanes were the favourites, but a decent Sunday afternoon turnout were hopeful of an upset.
With four minutes on the clock the Hurricanes made their pressure tell as Mathew Bailey crashed over the line from five metres out, Ben Stead added the conversion from under the sticks for a 6-0 lead.
With ten minutes on the clock Elliott Wallis had a simple walk-in try down the left wing as he took a pass in space for a simple second score. This time the kick was short, but it was a great start for the visitors.
The third try came on fourteen as the Hurricanes took total charge, a high kick to the corner was caught and passed by Matthew Welham who found Kallum Dunne in space to go over down the right-hand side. Once again the kick was wide of the sticks but the Hurricanes were scoring at a point a minute.
It took twenty minutes for Hull Dockers to open their account as Chris Heil pushed away a couple of attempted tackles after taking a Matty Beharrell pass to force the ball onto the ground. The Dan Suddaby attempted conversion fell just short of the cross bar.
As the half wore on, Hull Dockers were coming more into the game.
Rich Wilkinson had a try ruled out from the Hurricanes on thirty-three minutes for offside but as the Half-time hooter warmed up the Dockers gave away a penalty inside their own twenty and Stead kicked the two points for a 16-4 half time lead after looking like they might run away with it after the earliest exchanges.
Three minutes after the restart Matty Welham took the pass, chipped over the defence and chased his own kick to ground. Stead was again on target; the Hurricanes were 22-4 ahead. A dribble forwards by Wilkinson from the kick went into the hands of Windley who made a half break to half way before passing to Bailey Dawson to sprint in under the sticks. Again, the goal was added and the Midlands Hurricanes were disappearing out of sight.
On fifty-one the visitors were in again with Macauley Hallett hitting the line at speed off a Windley pass, to go in from ten metres out. Stead was wide of the target with the conversion attempt. It was all one-way traffic.
Dave Bade was sin-binned for running into a skirmish on fifty-four to compound the home sides woes.
A great solo try from Welham, his second of the game, saw the Hurricanes centre wriggle out of the tackles and ground one-handed by the left upright. Stead was again on target for the fifth time in the game for 38-4.
Welham hit a hole on sixty-eight to bring up the Hurricanes forty, the Dockers defence opening up and letting the centre canter through for his second of the afternoon. Stead kicked his sixth goal of the afternoon.
On seventy-two Dunne found himself in plenty of space on the right wing to take a gentle pass from Matty Welham and walk in for the ninth try of the afternoon. Stead converted brilliantly from the touchline to bring up the fifty for a comprehensive win.
In the end it was an easy win for the League One side over the lads from the community club. Despite going down early on the home side did dig in and got themselves a try, but as they started to tire it was the semi-pro´s who had the stamina to kick on and take full advantage as they piled on the tries and the pain. Midland Hurricanes into the third-round draw in Featherstone on Monday evening.
Hull Dockers: Suddaby, Rawlings, Heil C (T), Heil T, Patrick, Scott, Beharrell, Lyth, Pickering, Fletcher, Whur, Milne, Sheriff. Subs: Hamilton, Birch, Taylor, Bade (SB on 54). 18th Man: Craven.
Midlands Hurricanes: Hill, Dunne (2T), Welham (2T), Hallett (2T), Wallis (T), Stead (6G), Wilkinson, Moran, Cullimore, Bailey (T), Dawson B (T), Welham, Clavering. Subs: Dawson J, Bowring, Gilbey, Windley.
Half-Time: 4-16.
Full-Time: 4-50.
Score Progression: 0-4, 0-6, 0-10, 0-14, 4-14, 4-16: HT : 4-20, 4-22, 4-26, 4-28, 4-32, (SB), 4-36, 4-38, 4-42, 4-44, 4-48, 4-50 : FT.
Lead Exchanges: Hurricanes.
Referee: Andrew Sweet.
Attendance: .
