Wigan 20-22 Hull FC: Hull hold off Wigan to go top
Last Updated: 24/03/17 11:35pm
Hull FC ended champions Wigan's unbeaten start to the Betfred Super League season with a 22-20 triumph on Friday night, but were given a massive fright in the second half.
The visitors blew the Warriors away with three tries in a nine-minute period in the first half. Steve Michaels, Albert Kelly and Jake Connor crossed to help Hull move 18-0 ahead, and a try from Jamie Shaul extended their advantage to 22-0 at the start of the second half.
The hosts showed some fighting spirit to finally make a go of it, with Liam Forsyth grabbing his first try for the club, and George Williams, Tom Davies and Liam Marshall also crossing to set up a grandstand finish, but Hull hung on.
Wigan dominated the opening exchanges, with Thomas Leuluai, Sam Powell and Tony Clubb all going close, but they were unable to get that vital opening score.
Hull made them pay after 12 minutes as a mistake from Marshall saw them launch their first attack. Marc Sneyd noticed Davies and Anthony Gelling had moved in-field, so the scrum-half sent over a sublime kick for Michaels to collect and score. Sneyd converted to make it 6-0.
It did not take long for Hull to double their lead with a try from absolutely nothing. The Black and Whites looked to be just playing out their set until Kelly got the ball 40 metres out and twice broke clear of attempted tackles from Marshall and Morgan Escare to touch down. Sneyd made it 12-0.
Hull were in full control now and they made it three converted tries in nine minutes as Sika Manu produced an outrageous ball to send Connor in under the posts to make it 18-0.
Wigan had enough ball and field position to get back into this game, with Powell again going extremely close to grounding the ball, but the Warriors just seemed unable to make a dent in the Hull defensive line.
The Warriors thought they had scored their first points of the night heading into the final 10 minutes of the half with Davies diving over in the far corner, but the touch judge ruled that the winger was expertly tackled into touch by Michaels.
Hull needed just 49 seconds of the second half to seemingly put this game to bed with another try from nothing. Josh Griffin broke through a poor tackle attempt from Leuluai to race clear before offloading to Shaul, who turned Escare before touching down.
Wigan again thought they had got some points on the board when Forsyth appeared to touch down in the corner following a great break down the right but, after consulting his in-goal judge, referee Phil Bentham ruled the centre had failed to get the ball down.
The Warriors were refusing to let this one go and they forced an error deep in Hull's half to have another crack at the line. This time they were not going to be denied as Forsyth jumped the highest to collect George Williams' kick to score his first try for the club. Escare was off target as they trailed 22-4.
Wigan reduced the deficit to 12 points heading into the final 10 minutes as Williams was on hand to touch down after Marshall had kicked back inside. Escare converted to make to 22-10 and the Warriors had half a chance.
An error from Connor put the hosts back on the front foot and they were well and truly back in it as Davies scored in the corner following some good build-up play from Leuluai and Willie Isa. Escare's conversion made it 22-16 and it was now game on.
The game had looked dead and buried at the start of the second half but, with five minutes remaining, the gap was now just two as Marshall went over in the corner. Escare was unable to convert with the score now 22-20 in Hull's favour.
There only looked to be one winner at this moment but knock-ons from Isa and Forsyth ensured Hull held on to claim the win.
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