Hull FC 27-26 Wakefield: Late Marc Sneyd drop-goal secures dramatic victory
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 02/04/18 6:30pm
Marc Sneyd's 50-metre drop goal with just 90 seconds remaining secured Hull's dramatic 27-26 win over Wakefield at the KCOM Stadium.
It was the Black and Whites' third win in a row and a result that condemned Wakefield to their fourth successive defeat.
Sneyd broke the deadlock in the 16th minute with a penalty from 35 metres giving Hull a 2-0 lead.
Jordan Abdull extended Hull's lead after Josh Griffin palmed Sneyd's high kickback causing mayhem in the Wakefield defence. Abdull's awareness meant he was able to steal in and score the simplest of tries. Sneyd converted for an 8-0 lead after the first quarter of play.
Wakefield were gifted a try when Hull's next attack broke down 15 metres inside Trinity's half. Jacob Miller sprinted clear and let winger Bill Tupou take the glory finishing off the try near the left-hand corner. James Batchelor added the conversion to trail 8-6.
Wakefield were playing the better rugby and deservedly took the lead with eight minutes of the first-half remaining. A flowing move from right to left was finished off by Tupou for his second of the game. Batchelor made it 12-8 to the
visitors with a superb touchline conversion.
Batchelor's third conversion attempt of the first-half was more straightforward from just right of the posts after Hakim Miloudi made a mess of Miller's kick-through hoping it would go dead.
Realising it would not, Miloudi tried to gather the ball and dropped it to leave Caton-Brown the tasking of grounding the loose ball.
Wakefield's 18-8 lead was a fair reflection of the first-half with Trinity enjoying more possession and territory than their hosts.
With the game in danger of slipping away from them, Hull scored first in the second-half when Albert Kelly powered his way through two Wakefield defenders to score. Sneyd's conversion closed the gap to four points.
Now with the momentum, Hull regained the lead thanks to Fetuli Talanoa who gathered Sneyd's inch-perfect kick to score in the left-hand corner. Sneyd's conversion was awarded despite one touch judge ruling the kick off target.
Wakefield made it 20-20 on the hour mark when Miloudi conceded a penalty 30 metres from his own line, which Batchelor converted with ease.
But it was Hull who scored the next try when Bureta Faraimo broke down the right wing before play switched to the left for Talanoa to score his 11th try of the season. Sneyd's conversion gave Hull a six-point cushion with 15 minutes to play.
Mason Caton-Brown's interception try with eight minutes remaining, converted by Batchelor, made it 26-26 and set-up a tense finale.
Miller failed with his own drop goal attempt from 40 metres but Sneyd made no mistake with his booming kick from just inside his own half to win the game for Hull.