Capital punishment for Hull

Harlequins bounced back from a hammering away at Huddersfield with a hard-fought 22-12 victory over Hull FC at the Twickenham Stoop.

Tony Clubb, Jason Golden and David Howell all crossed for the hosts while Danny Orr added 10 points with the boot.

The win elevates Quins up to fifth in the table and helps quickly bury the memory of their 46-6 loss at the hands of the Giants last week.

They now sit just one place behind Hull, who have suffered back-to-back defeats after winning five in a row at the start of the campaign.

Tough encounter

The Airlie Birds played their part in a tough encounter that was always likely to be tight due to a well-worn pitch and a heavy shower shortly before kick-off.

The opening half saw both sides manage a try apiece, Quins grabbing the first after falling behind to an early Danny Tickle penalty.

Hull had a glorious chance to extend their lead but Willie Manu was unable to hang onto a pass with the line begging after Tickle had rose above Jon Wells to claim an up-and-under.

Clubb made the visitors pay for their profligacy when he forced his way over on the blindside, Orr slotting over the first of his three conversions to make it 6-2.

However, the Black and Whites levelled matters through Kirk Yeaman just after the half-hour, the centre sliding over on the left after referee Richard Silverwood had given a generous penalty for reefing the ball out.

The second 40 minutes followed a similar pattern to the first, neither team proving able to move clear of their opponent until Quins finally surged clear.

Golden's first score of the season gave the hosts the upper hand again but the six-point gap lasted for just five minutes, Hull benefiting again from a close call from an official to tie things up.

This time it was television judge Thierry Alibert who gave Richard Agar's side the benefit of any doubt, deciding that Howell had played at Chris Thorman's grubber kick.

Battle

The centre's touch played Craig Hall onside and he won the battle to the loose ball after Wells' attempt to hack clear had seen him nutmegged.

Tickle's conversion briefly drew Hull level but a see-saw game finally tipped the way of Quins, starting with a penalty awarded to them right in front of the posts for stealing the ball in a two-man tackle.

Orr made no mistake with the two-pointer and, following a superb 40-20 from hooker Chad Randall, Howell made amends for his earlier error by charging over from close range to put some daylight between the two clubs.

Another successful Orr penalty, again from in front of the sticks, made it a 10-point lead and although Tom Briscoe went close in the final minutes, there was no way back for Hull this time.