Late penalty takes victory from Thunder

A CONTROVERSIAL 80th-minute penalty saw Newcastle Thunder lose for the first time in seven weeks as Hunslet RLFC secured a narrow 26-25 win yesterday.

Thunder travelled to West Yorkshire hoping to secure fourth place in Kingstone Press League 1 ahead of the mid-season split and, in turn, secure a fourth home game during the Super 8 phase of the competition.

And while the other results they needed to go in their favour to achieve this did not, they had seemingly secured a hard-fought win with 90 seconds left thanks to a Benn Hardcastle drop goal.

Instead, a period of play that saw first a reset of the tackle count and then a penalty as the hooter sounded allowed the hosts to take the points.

The result means they will have three games at Kingston Park during the Super 8s, the phase of the competition that determines which sides will contest the end-ofseason promotion play-offs, with Barrow Raiders, Keighley Cougars and Workington Town the sides set to travel to Tyneside.

Thunder’s travels will see away days in Cumbria, Yorkshire and North America, with Doncaster, York City Knights, Whitehaven and Toronto Wolfpack the sides to host Thunder.

In a tight game, the scoreboard wasn’t troubled until 20 minutes in, when the hosts managed to play in Jack Coventry for a one-handed score before Thunder levelled things 10 minutes later thanks to another length-of-field effort from fullback Lewis Young.

Defensive lapses in the middles allowed Hunslet to assume a halftime lead thanks to Jimmy Watson, but Thunder were back level just four minutes after the restart, thanks to Stephen Snitch.

Hunslet scored straight from the restart, but the frenetic pace saw matters all square once more just five minutes later thanks to a solo converted try from Hardcastle.

After an hour, Thunder assumed the lead for the first time as Young broke the line from 20 meters out, before absorbing intense pressure from the hosts, defending five consecutive sets of six.

With ten to go, Hunslet breached the Thunder defence for a converted try to take the game to 24 all and with no further scores, when the visitors found themselves with a clean attempt at a drop goal, Hardcastle dropped back to superbly slot the goal for a one point lead – until the lastminute heartbreak.