21/03/08 - Love hurts…but so does losing the derby…
Losing the derby by 40 points at home back in September was certainly humiliating (and beating Leeds the following week was scant consolation; it ain’t important in comparison), and we’d waited a winter for the chance to set the record straight. So losing this one by a solitary point is probably even harder to take.
I sure can’t bring myself to watch the recording. Had we scrambled home, and with the excruciating tension over, I’d have relished every kick, tackle and pass. I’ve have taken a perverse enjoyment in seeing their tries and subsequent celebrations, and wouldn’t have cared about our knock-ons and poor last play options, knowing how it would all come good in the end. But the red and whites will by now have luxuriated in that pleasure themselves.
A draw would’ve been a fair result given the endeavour shown by both sides in what Morgan summed up succinctly as the “ridiculous” conditions, and I swear I’d have said that even had we won. The defensive effort was outstanding all round. But at 10-10 with 8 minutes to play – 8 minutes to survive as far as Rovers, playing into the teeth of the gale, were concerned – there should have been two possible outcomes; no further score or an away win.
Post match Peter Sharp said Hull needed to “get smarter”. He wasn’t wrong. Hull somehow managed to let Rovers into their territory; almost incredibly, allowed their opponents to get into a position from which they could drop a goal; somehow contrived not to take a pop at the one pointer themselves; quite simply, found a way to lose.
A couple of weeks ago I mentioned the importance of composure. Webster – who’s had some stick off the Rovers fans this year but is a very smart player – showed how it should be done in executing his drop goal in the most unpromising of circumstances. In contrast, Tommy Lee came up with a nonsense of a kick to throw away the lifeline of a last minute set in the Rovers quarter. Dumb.
Tough times for the Hull players and staff. But after this loss, even tougher times for Hull’s supporters. It’s more than professional pride for us. More than just going down by one point in the last two minutes (we did that at Saints a fortnight ago – it didn’t matter in the way this matters). More than dropping league points. More than where we sit on the league ladder. It doesn’t matter about the injuries (and things aren’t getting any better on that front). It’s losing the derby, and it hurts like hell.
