Huddersfield 12-31 Hull FC: Black and Whites win first Super League match since restart
Last Updated: 30/08/20 6:51pm
Hull FC put their off-field difficulties behind them to deliver a first win for head coach Andy Last with a 31-12 success against Huddersfield.
The Black and Whites suffered a 54-18 mauling by Salford in Last's first match in charge and were then forced into isolation after nine players and three members of staff tested positive for Covid-19.
Last called on his players to use the criticism that came their way as extra motivation and, despite being without five regulars for their first game back after a three-week absence, they responded superbly to lift the gloom with a first win since March.
Hull also overcame the loss of goalkicking half-back Marc Sneyd with a leg injury after 24 minutes to establish an unassailable 28-0 lead after 32 minutes before comfortably withstanding a Giants fightback.
Last took the bold decision to drop his skipper Danny Houghton to the bench and the move paid off as starting hooker Jordan Johnstone helped lay a strong platform for the victory.
Huddersfield, who had lost both matches since the resumption by a solitary point, were without both first-choice half-backs Lee Gaskell and skipper Aidan Sezer through injury and were forced to include forward James Gavet, whose two-week suspension for breaching covid protocols expired three days before the match.
Hull certainly looked to be the better prepared side as they made a tremendous start to the game at Warrington's Halliwell Jones Stadium.
Stand-off Albert Kelly exposed a chink in the Giants defence in the first five minutes and he opened the scoring after 10 minutes with a forceful run to the line.
His half-back partner Sneyd swooped on a handling error by Huddersfield just inside his own half and had enough pace to reach the line for Hull's second try while his grubber kick created a third for centre Josh Griffin after 22 minutes.
Sneyd kicked two conversions before hobbling off but Hull continued the momentum when 20-year-old substitute prop Jack Brown charged to the line, taking full-back Ashton Golding over with him as he scored his second Super League try.
Griffin, who took over the goalkicking duties, added the goal and also converted a 33rd-minute try from substitute Mahe Fonua, who won the race to Johnstone's grubber kick.
Golding grabbed a lifeline for the Giants when he sliced through the Hull defence for a try four minutes before half-time and they scored the first points of the second half when Darnell McIntosh sent second rower Jordan Turner over for their second try.
Oliver Russell kicked his second conversion to make it 28-12 and create some anxiety for Last.
Golding and Hull winger Ratu Naulago were both forced from the field after a clash of heads and the Black and Whites were reduced to 12 men when Fonua was shown a yellow card for a dangerous tackle on McIntosh.
The disruption made for a scrappy second half and Hull's only points came from a penalty by Griffin and a drop goal from full-back Jamie Shaul but Last will not complain after watching his side return to winning ways.
