Hull 22-30 Wigan: Anthony Gelling's late effort sees Warriors over the line
Last Updated: 09/09/17 7:11am
Wigan kept alive their Old Trafford dream with a dramatic 30-22 victory over 12-man Hull at the KCOM Stadium.
The reigning Super League champions scored two tries in the last four minutes to condemn their hosts to a third successive defeat and gain a measure of revenge for their Challenge Cup loss.
The outcome was tough on Hull, who played for an hour a man short following the controversial dismissal of prop Liam Watts, but fought back from 20-6 down to lead 22-20 with only four minutes to go.
The win lifts Wigan three places up to third in the table with just two rounds left of the Super 8s and leaves Hull needing to beat Wakefield next Thursday to avoid dropping out of the semi-final places.
Already without skipper Gareth Ellis and with a makeshift centre pairing of Jake Connor and Jordan Thompson, Hull's hopes appeared to flounder when Watts was sent off - for the third time this year - for allegedly using his elbow to the face of Wigan hooker Michael McIlorum midway through the first half.
Lance Todd Trophy winner Marc Sneyd gave Hull an early lead with a 45-metre penalty but Wigan scored the first try, with centre Oliver Gildart taking Liam Farrell's pass to cross after seven minutes.
George Williams added the conversion but it was all square four minutes later when Jake Connor gathered Sneyd's crossfield kick and winger Mahe Fonua, Hull's two-try Wembley hero, touched down at the corner.
Williams edged his side back in front midway through the first half with a penalty awarded after McIlorum and Albert Kelly exchanged punches on the ground and two minutes later Hull were reduced to 12 men with Watts shown a red card.
McIlorum also went off, with blood streaming down his face, but Wigan had the luxury of having Sam Powell on an experienced bench, which contrasted sharply with Hull's largely youthful back-up.
Hull defended stoically up to half-time but conceded a soft try two minutes into the second half when centre Anthony Gelling picked off a pass from Sneyd to romp 40 metres to the line and Gelling combined with Thomas Leuluai to get Davies over for the visitors' third try shortly afterwards.
The game might have been over had Gildart finished off a break by Williams but he fumbled Farrell's pass with the line at his mercy and Hull made the most of the let-off.
The cup winners struck back on the hour when second rower Sika Manu powered his way over for his first try of the season following a sustained spell of pressure on the Wigan line and five minutes later Sneyd got a finger touch to Kelly's grubber kick.
Sneyd added both conversions to cut the deficit to two points and Hull went in front 10 minutes from the end when Kelly palmed back his own kick for Fonua to grab his second try.
Hull fans' celebrations were premature, however, as Gelling stepped out of Sneyd's attempted tackle to score his second try which restored Wigan's lead and second rower John Bateman made sure of the win when he went over with seconds to spare.
