Preston Grasshoppers travel over the Pennines this weekend taking with them an unbeaten run of six games which stretches back to early February. But the task of extending this impressive run at Brantingham Park against the league leaders will be a very difficult one.
The last time Hoppers had such a rich vein of form at this level was during the 2012/13 season when two runs of seven victories were achieved in the same season and the last time they won four consecutive away games in National 2 North was during the second of these with victories at Hull, Huddersfield, Bromsgrove and Birmingham Solihull.
Hoppers hosts, Hull Ionians lost heavily at Lightfoot Green earlier in the season and will be all out for revenge together with a five point victory to keep their slender one point lead over closest rivals Chester intact.
Ionians only home defeat of the season to date was in their last appearance at Brantingham Park when Sedgley Park came away with the spoils, but more recently they gained a narrow victory at Otley last Saturday who at one time held a seventeen points lead over their visitors.
Hoppers run of success was extended last Saturday when seven tries were scored against a Hinckley side who were made to look a shadow of the team Hoppers were soundly beaten by earler in the season. The forty eight points Hoppers piled on was the most the visitors had conceded this season, and it’s no exageration to say there could have been many more with a little more composure and luck of the bounce for the home side. Tom Davidson’s brother Will made his debut in this game after impressive 2nd XV appearances.
Fixtures against Hull Ionians started in their inaugural season and on the 7th of October 1989 they made their first visit to Lightfoot Green, when on this occasion the visiting team were victorious by thirteen points to nine.
The playing record to date between today’s rivals stands all square from the thirty encounters, whilst in the twenty two League games, Ionians have won just one more than the ‘Hoppers.
Team News
1. Ryan PURCELL
2. PJ MILLEA
3. Peter ALTHAM
4. Adam HOWARD
5. Luke PROCTER
6. Ally MURRAY
7. Ryan CARLSON
8. Matt LAMPREY
9. James GOUGH
10. Thomas DAVIDSON
11. Matt CROW
12. James FITZPATRICK
13. Alex HURST
14. Tyler SPENCE
15. Scott JORDAN
16. N. MILLER
17. D. MADDEN
18. O. TRIPPIER
19. W. DAVIDSON
20. S. STOTT
