Hodgson hat-trick downs Hull

Hodgson: Three tries

David Hodgson grabbed a hat-trick of tries as Huddersfield moved back level with Warrington at the top of the Super League table with a 34-20 victory over Hull.

Former Hull scrum-half Danny Brough punished his old employers with 14 points as a late comeback from the hosts was firmly stamped out at the KC Stadium.

Brough was a constant threat throughout, creating two tries and grabbing a decisive breakaway score of his own with 10 minutes remaining.

Hull were looking to extend their unbeaten run to seven matches and started the match like a side in good form, almost going ahead in the third minute when Mark O'Meley lost possession while crossing the line.

But they were then quickly behind at the other end as winger Will Sharp was caught out by Brough's kick to the corner, allowing Hodgson to play Michael Lawrence in.

Worries

Brough failed with the touchline conversion but Hull's worries did increase not long after when full-back Cameron Phelps went off injured.

The Black and Whites regrouped though, and took the lead on 15 minutes when Ewan Dowes took advantage of a Scott Grix error to touch down.

Prop Dowes had not scored for three years prior to the game, but showed plenty of attacking instinct with a neat step-and-go past Danny Kirmond after Grix had shelled a Richard Horne bomb.

Danny Tickle added the extras to put Hull ahead but they failed to build on it and were made to pay when Huddersfield scored their second try after 26 minutes.

The home side contested Thierry Alibert's decision to wipe down the tackle count after a kick hit Sharp and shortly after Hodgson took a Kevin Brown pass - which the home fans claimed was forward - to cross in the corner.

This time Brough was on target from the touchline, but Danny Tickle reduced the half-time deficit to two points with a penalty right on the hooter.

Score

Huddersfield began the second half in the same vein as the first, though, as Brough sent a long ball for Hodgson to score a second after Sharp had drifted infield.

The game stopped for five minutes while Grix was stretchered off after a Kirk Yeaman hit, with the latter then penalised for a different challenge on Leroy Cudjoe, allowing Brough to tag on two more points.

But O'Meley barged his way over from two yards out to bring Hull back to within four points after Tickle's conversion.

That score was quickly cancelled out, however, when Hodgson completed his treble after taking advantage of more poor positioning from Sharp to sneak in at the left corner.

With the match being played at a frantic pace, Hull raced down the other end to hit back once more, with Willie Manu dragging visiting defenders over the line with him to give Tickle another easy two-pointer.

However Brough finally killed off their hopes of a comeback when he swooped on Jordan Turner's error to race clear, before a bandaged up Lee Gilmour completed the scoring with a late try on the left.