Hull FC win Challenge Cup with narrow victory over Warrington at Wembley
Last Updated: 28/08/16 12:52am
Hull FC fought back from 10-0 down to beat Warrington 12-10 and win the Challenge Cup at Wembley, on Saturday.
Warrington scored through Matty Russell and Ben Currie with Kurt Gidley adding the conversion to give Wolves a 10-0 lead.
However, Hull FC hit back with a try from Mahe Fonua which was converted by Marc Sneyd to set up a tense final quarter.
Hull threw everything into attack and it was Jamie Shaul's brilliant running line that broke through the Wolves defence in the 74th minute that levelled the scores. Sneyd converted to give Hull the lead for the first time with five minutes remaining.
It was a frenetic finale as Hull withstood some intense Wolves pressure that should have resulted in the winning try.
However, a fantastic tackle from Danny Houghton somehow dislodged the ball from Currie's hands as he was sliding over to score and Hull FC held on for the win.
Warrington were left to rue two missed kicks from Gidley - a conversion and a penalty - however there was no taking away from Hull FC who won their first Challenge Cup title at Wembley.
The Wolves edged a tight first half in hot and humid conditions as they looked to play with plenty of tempo and run from dummy half.
Hull FC's defence absorbed some intense Warrington pressure and looked to have turned the tide, but it was Warrington who took the lead thanks to a Chris Sandow interception in the 33rd minute.
With Hull on a rare attack, Sandow read a pass to perfection and sprinted almost the length of the field before a brilliant run back from Shaul hauled him down a metre short. Shaul's efforts were in vain, though, as from the next play, Russell jinked his way over which Gidley converted to take a 6-0 lead into the break.
Warrington continued to play at pace in the second-half and scored their second in the 53rd minute after a brilliant break from Daryl Clarke who then passed on the outside to Currie who finished it off in the corner. Gidley could not convert but Warrington looked firmly in control.
Hull clawed their way back into the game after some brilliant kicking from Sneyd. First he put in an accurate 40-20, and then from the head and feed put in a superb cross-field kick for Fonua who beat Sandow in the air and scored.
Sneyd's third vital kick was the conversion which made the score 6-10 with less than 20 minutes to go.
With their tails up, Hull FC pummelled away at the Wolves line and looked to have scored their second after another cross-field kick from Sneyd. It was a race for the line between Stefan Ratchford and Hull's Stephen Michaels.
However, the video replays showed that Ratchford had got their inches before Michaels could touch it down.
Hull were not to be denied, though, and once again it came from the boot of Sneyd who put in a massive high ball. Fonau managed to get their first and tipped it back to Sneyd who then passed to Shaul running a great line for the try. The conversion may have been in front of the posts but the pressure was on Sneyd who converted to give Hull the lead.
Warrington were not done yet and came tearing back only to be denied in the final minute.
Currie showed great strength to break through two tackles and looked to have scored the winning try, however Houghton's last-gasp tackle somehow dislodged the ball and Hull lifted the Challenge Cup for the first time ever at Wembley and the trophy for the first time since 2005.
