This was a bit more like it. After a difficult few weeks with some disappointing results, this was a good win for Beverley and their best performance for some time.
Much of the drive and slick movement of early-season which has been missing in recent weeks looked to be coming back.
It was by no means a simple pushover though. Hullensians, struggling at the foot of the table, showed plenty of endeavour and might have felt slightly hard done by at the margin of their defeat but they were never able to match Beverley’s superior finishing power.
Early in the second half, Dom Bloomfield went over in the corner for Hullensians for a try which was splendidly converted from the touchline by Josh Abbott.
It was no less than Hullensians deserved but it proved to be their only tangible reward for an afternoon’s hard endeavour. A fifth Beverley try, the most impressive of the game, quickly followed. Duboulay set it up with a break in midfield and, after some slick handling through several pairs of hands and a clever slipped pass from Smith, touched down in the corner.
With time running out a lengthy period of scrappy play in the corner ended with a yellow card for Hullensians number eight Jason Conroy and the award of a penalty try to Beverley which took them to forty-five points and a convincing victory. Duboulay was successful with four of his six conversion attempts in difficult wind conditions.
Next week at Heath will be a different kettle of fish but if Beverley can maintain this level of performance and get something from what will be a difficult game a play-off place might still be achievable.
With Heath unexpectedly losing today a win for Beverley would put them right back in the mix. It could well to be a defining match of the season.
Reported by John Nursey
