Hull FC 18-14 Wigan: Hull successfully defend Challenge Cup title at Wembley
By Keith Moore
Last Updated: 26/08/17 5:59pm
Hull successfully defended their Challenge Cup title by beating Wigan 18-14 at Wembley on Saturday afternoon.
The victory, which came through tries from Mahe Fonua (2) and Fetuli Talanoa, gave Hull their fifth Challenge Cup title, as they claimed back-to-back crowns for the first time in their history.
Wigan started well, with John Bateman opening the scoring and Oliver Gildart bringing his side to within two points at the end of the first half. And when Joe Burgess then crossed in the 73rd minute it looked as though the Warriors could launch a late title bid, but for the second year in succession, Hull defended well to close out the game and lift the trophy.
In the end, it was the kicking that separated the two sides, with Marc Sneyd's perfect three-from-three and all-round game earning him the Lance Todd trophy.
Bateman scored the first try for the Warriors when Hull failed to deal with a high kick which was allowed to bounce, and Gelling was on hand to grab the ball and pass to Bateman in space for a 6-0 lead following the conversion.
Hull replied through Fetuli Talanoa, who rose high to claim a Sneyd kick and dot down to level matters with a converted try.
The Black and Whites then took the lead following another probing Sneyd kick, with Albert Kelly tapping the ball back for Fonua to stroll over untouched.
Hull were well and truly in charge, but the Warriors had the final say of the half when George Williams took the ball to the defence and created a gap for Oliver Gildart to cross for Wigan's second.
Williams missed the conversion which meant the two sides went into the break with Lee Radford's side 12-10 ahead.
Hull were the first on the board in the second half, with Fonua diving superbly into the corner to hand his side an eight-point lead once Sneyd had slotted the touchline conversion.
The Black and Whites looked to have extended their advantage when Fonua crossed for what would have been his third try, but the video referee ruled it out for obstruction in the build-up.
The Warriors then had a try scratched off when Tony Clubb was deemed to have knocked on in the act of scoring.
Burgess raced over in the corner in the 73rd minute to set up a dramatic finish, and the winger tore down the left touchline once more in the 76th minute to spark a try-scoring opportunity, but then kicked ahead into open play as Danny Houghton tidied up for the eventual champions.
There was more drama in the final minute as Burgess crossed the whitewash to send one half of Wembley into complete hysteria, but the referee called play back for a forward pass from Williams in the build-up.
Hull almost had the perfect finish when Talanoa broke free in the final play of the game, but Bateman and Liam Marshall tracked back well to end the threat and make the tackle. However, it didn't matter to the Black and Whites who celebrated their historic win.
