HULL FC held on for a priceless two points in a brilliant 14-10 win
Hull drew first blood following a penalty. Jake Clifford set up the points with a pinpoint kick to the corner for Darnell McIntosh to dot down in the fifth minute.. Clifford converted superbly from the touchline to make it 6-0.
The Black and Whites’ defence stood firm from a Wigan onslaught and it was the home side that doubled their lead on 15 minutes when Clifford stretched out close to the line. The halfback converted yet again for a 12-0 lead.
Hull’s defence was again superb with Clifford pulling all the strings possible for the hosts and the halfback added a penalty on the half-hour to make it 14-0.
The Warriors did finally get their try two minutes before half-time when Iain Thornley scored on his first appearance in 11 months. Harry Smith converted expertly to reduce the deficit to eight at 14-6.
Thornley grabbed a second just three minutes into the second-half, but this time Smith couldn’t convert with Wigan back to 14-10.
It was nip-and-tuck for the next 20 minutes as the Warriors tried desperately to claw back the four-point deficit, but brilliant Hull tackling kept their top-of-the-table opponents out.
Hull FC
25 Davy Litten
5 Darnell McIntosh
4 Liam Sutcliffe
3 Carlos Tuimavave
17 Cam Scott
7 Jake Clifford
19 Ben McNamara
13 Brad Fash
9 Danny Houghton
8 Ligi Sao
23 Josh Griffin
12 Jordan Lane
15 Joe Cator
Substitutes
6 Jake Trueman
10 Chris Satae
30 Scott Taylor
33 Brad Dwyer
Tries: McIntosh (5), Clifford (15)
Goals: Clifford 3/3
Wigan Warriors
2 Bevan French
23 Abbas Miski
3 Toby King
4 Jake Wardle
21 Iain Thornley
19 Joe Shorrocks
7 Harry Smith
16 Ethan Havard
9 Sam Powell
10 Liam Byrne
17 Kai Pearce-Paul
12 Liam Farrell
13 Morgan Smithies
Substitutes
20 Patrick Mago
22 Brad O’Neill
26 Harvie Hill
27 Junior Nsemba
Tries: Thornley (39, 43)
Goals: Smith 1/2
Half-time: 14-6
Referee: Ben Thaler
Scoring sequence: 6-0, 12-0, 14-0, 14-6; 14-10
