As North Wales Crusaders host Hunslet in League 1 on Sunday, we take a look at some of the memorable matches between the two sides over the years.
Crusaders have gone head-to-head with Hunslet on five occasions, with the first meeting only coming in 2016.
Hunslet 35-30 Crusaders – July 2016
A late Crusaders fightback wasn’t enough as they fell to a 35-30 defeat at the South Leeds Stadium.
Hunslet held a narrow 22-18 lead at the interval, but they kicked on early in the second-half to go 35-18 ahead by the hour mark.
Although Rob Massam and Kenny Baker both crossed for tries in the final ten minutes, North Wales had left it too late and weren’t able to claw the deficit back.
Crusaders 20-12 Hunslet – July 2017
North Wales beat Hunslet 20-12 at Queensway Stadium to boost their chances in the League 1 Shield, which the visitors ended up winning later on in the season.
A first-half double from Simon Atherton, with Joe Sanderson replying for Hunslet, put Crusaders into a 10-6 lead at the break.
Tommy Johnson then crossed for a try and kicked two penalty goals to give the hosts a 20-6 advantage.
Although Liam Mackay pulled a try back late on, it proved to be a consolation and North Wales secured the win.
Crusaders 18-19 Hunslet – July 2018
A dubious Joe Sanderson drop-goal with two minutes left clinched a dramatic 19-18 for Hunslet in Wrexham.
The match was nip-and-tuck throughout as the sides were level at 12-12 at half-time.
Both sides exchanged penalty goals, with Tom Ashton grabbing a try for Hunslet, before Dale Bloomfield levelled matters once again with around ten minutes left.
But there was one last twist as Sanderson slotted over the hotly-disputed drop-goal.
Back the lads at Queensway Stadium this Sunday as they aim to continue the momentum following the victory over London Skolars in the Challenge Cup.
Tickets are priced at £12 for adults, £10 for concessions and £2 for U16s.
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