St Helens suffer third consecutive defeat after shock Hull FC loss
Last Updated: 07/04/15 12:14am
Champions St Helens suffered a third successive loss as they were beaten by Hull FC who bounced back from derby defeat.
Saints continued their slump in form with their latest reverse following back-to-back defeats against Hull KR and Wigan on Good Friday, Kieron Cunningham's side have dropped off top spot in Super League to be replaced by Leeds Rhinos.
A long-range Jamie Shaul try was the score that reduced Saints to an unexpected home defeat after clinging on throughout the fixture.
The injury-ravaged Saints gave debuts to a pair of teenagers, which gave Hull FC something to target on the day.
Hull took an early lead after a fumble off a high kick and a penalty gave the visiting side plenty of opportunity to move the ball upfield.
Eventually the stretched defence paid off for Hull as Joe Westerman and Leon Pryce combined well to give Shaul enough space to slip through for the opening try to take a 6-0 lead after the Jordan Rankin kick.
Saints hit back through Tommy Makinson who benefitted from the initial work from Lance Hohaia and James Roby.
Saints then scored when a superb short ball from Jordan Turner sent Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook crashing over the line. Hull were given two penalties and through that momentum Curtis Naughton managed to get the ball down despite attention from Bailey, making the score 12-10 with 24 minutes gone, and that's how the score remained until the break.
Hull took the lead after eight minutes of the second period thanks to former Saint Leon Pryce who dotted down for a 16-12 lead.
Saints came back with a try from Turner on 54 minutes and it looked like Saints would pull away. But there were two telling knock-on offences, which seemed to frustrate the home side, and the visitors delighted in adding to that pressure with a floated pass to Fetuli Talanoa who went over on 66 minutes.
A penalty from a high tackle allowed Makinson to level from 30 metres nine minutes from time, but Saints were hanging on.
Confirmation arrived shortly after thanks to a moment of individual brilliance from Shaul, which nosed Hull FC in front before a penalty three minutes from the end guaranteed them an unlikely victory.
