WARRINGTON WOLVES 12 HULL FC 4
KASEY SMITH, Halliwell Jones Stadium, Friday

WARRINGTON overcame their own mistakes and a stubborn, frustrating Hull FC side to move level with Leeds at the top of Super League.

The Wolves eventually edged ahead of Hull in the second half, with the Black and Whites – already hampered by 14 players missing through injury or suspension – left to rue their failure to make the most of a dominant first half that included seven penalties and a ten-minute man advantage.

With Leon Hayes partnering Marc Sneyd in the halves after the late withdrawal of Ewan Irwin, Warrington found it difficult to establish control and were frequently guilty of overplaying their hand, squandering a number of promising chances.

It was a fifth straight league win for Sam Burgess’ side, but the performance fell well short of the standard required. They were disjointed in attack throughout the night, yet Hull – now on a run of four straight defeats – failed to take advantage and let them off the hook.

After forcing a Matty Ashton knock-on deep on the Warrington line, it was a rare occasion where Hull capitalised for a seventh-minute lead.

A slick passage of play involving Jake Arthur and Zak Hardaker culminated in a brilliant pass from the centre, allowing Harvey Barron to dive over in the corner and ground the ball one-handed for a superb finish.

Hull were successful at disrupting Warrington’s rhythm and they silenced the Halliwell Jones crowd in the opening stages, with two successful captain’s challenges proving pivotal in swinging momentum their way. Luke Thomas’ sin bin for a tip tackle prompted further frustration among the home fans.

Warrington looked to have levelled when Toby King powered over and grounded the ball but it was ruled out for double movement, much to the relief of the Black and Whites.

The relief, though, was short-lived when it was discovered Zak Hardaker was to be forced off after coming off worse in attempting to stop the try, compounding Hull’s injury woes as he failed an HIA.

Warrington came to life after the break, and although there was still a sense of desperation, they had a slice of fortune. Hayes was almost trapped with the last tackle looming, but – as a last resort – he managed to find Liam Byrne, who pinged a hopeful kick towards the corner.

To the delight of the Warrington faithful, the ball bounced perfectly into the path of Josh Smith, who crossed in the corner. Sneyd added the extras to put his side in front.

But Warrington’s own sloppiness nearly proved costly. Arthur capitalised on a Sneyd fumble, and Hull looked to have regained the lead through Barron once again. However, the video referee intervened for a second time, ruling the try out for obstruction.

Albert Hopoate could have made Warrington’s lead more comfortable just after the hour mark, but more poor passing didn’t give the Australian a chance, with another opportunity blown.

Hull threatened to snatch a late winner, but they were equally error-prone. In the final minutes Hull’s hooker Amir Bourouh was sinbinned and Smith’s second try wrapped up a victory that will not live long in the memory.

GAMESTAR: Ben Currie produced some strong carries and came up with some good defensive interventions.

GAMEBREAKER: Marc Sneyd had his kicking boots on which was ultimately the only thing that separated two mistake-laden teams.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: Prop Liam Byrne’s kick for Warrington’s try brought the biggest cheer of the night.

ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Ben Currie (Warrington)
2 pts Logan Moy (Hull FC)
1 pt Toby King (Warrington)

MATCHFACTS

WOLVES
35 Lachlan Webster
4 Albert Hopoate
3 Toby King
26 Josh Smith
5 Matty Ashton
19 Leon Hayes
7 Marc Sneyd
21 Luke Thomas
9 Danny Walker
16 Liam Byrne
22 Joe Philbin
13 Ben Currie
17 Jordan Crowther
Subs (all used)
14 Sam Powell
15 Toafofoa Sipley
32 Ewan Smith
34 Kelepi Tanginoa
18th man (not used)
29 Zack Gardner
Also in 21-man squad
2 Josh Thewlis
18 Ewan Irwin
25 Max Wood

Tries: J Smith (47, 80)
Goals: Sneyd 2/2
Sin bin: Thomas (23) – dangerous tackle

HULL FC
24 Logan Moy
2 Harvey Barron
4 Zak Hardaker
32 Lloyd Kemp
19 Tom Briscoe
6 Jake Arthur
7 Aidan Sezer
38 Jeremiah Mata’utia
9 Amir Bourouh
10 Harvie Hill
11 Joe Batchelor
39 Ethan O’Neill
14 Cade Cust
Subs (all used)
8 Herman Ese’ese
25 Matty Laidlaw
26 Hugo Salabio
30 Will Kirby
18th man (not used)
27 Callum Kemp
Also in 21-man squad
29 Will Hutchinson
35 Ben Johnson
36 Lennon Clark

Tries: Barron (7)
Goals: Hardaker 0/1
Sin bin: Bourouh (79) – dissent

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4; 6-4, 12-4

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Wolves: Ben Currie; Hull FC: Logan Moy

Penalty count: 4-8
Half-time: 0-4
Referee: Ryan Cox
Attendance: 8,815