After last week’s thrilling ninety-minute golden point draw against the Warrington Wolves in round three, Hull FC were looking to take both points on offer as they took on a struggling Wakefield Trinity who currently can’t seem to buy a win.
Wakefield would need to do much better than the single try that they have managed in defeat in their last three outings. The Black and Whites knew that a win wouldn’t lift them up the table, but it would increase the gap back to Castleford in fifth.
The pundits couldn’t see past a Hull win and the bookies set the odds accordingly.
Ten minutes from the first hooter and Andre Savelio grabbed the first FC try as he took a short ball at pace and rolled over the top of Ryan Hampshire to drop to the ground. Marc Sneyd added the conversion and the home side were off and running.
Kyle Wood was held up over the line on twenty-five after good Trinity pressure but after absorbing the Wakefield onslaught FC managed to work the ball down the other end and after they were awarded a penalty in front of the sticks Sneyd kicked the two points.
A Lee Kershaw gamble, an interception five metres from his own line, saw the winger sprint downfield and leave the FC chasers in his wake as he scored under the sticks. Mason Lino added the simplest of conversions and Trinity trailed by just two at the interval.
Seconds before the interval Bureta Faraimo was sin-binned for a ‘contact to the head’ as Max Jowitt was helped from the field for a head assessment.
On forty-five, and still a man down, Hull extended their lead through Adam Swift as he leapt to pinch a Sneyd high kick, picking Kershaw’s pocket, to drop on the line for the try. Sneyd made no mistake with the touchline conversion for 14-6, daylight re-established.
A fantastic chase from James Batchelor to collect a Hampshire grubber, clutching it to his chest and grounding before going dead in goal. Lino couldn’t add the extras, Wakefield still four adrift.
Twelve minutes from time Lino picked up a rebounded Sneyd kick and run fifty metres to dove over in the corner to level the scores at 14-14. Lino couldn’t add the extras, the game now in the balance, Trinity with the momentum.
Jake Connor and Carlos Tuimavave combined well after Trinity had knocked on a Connor kick through. Moving the ball quickly from left to right the ball ended up with the big centre to go through a gap for the try. Sneyd added the conversion and the lead was back to six points.
Sneyd missed a drop goal attempt on seventy-seven, and another on seventy-nine, but it was of no matter as FC ran in a 20-14 win to maintain their fourth spot in the fledgling table.
FC knew that they were in a game and while Wakefield remain pointless in Super League 2021 they will again take some heart from their performance. FC are unbeaten so far this season with just the blemish of the golden point draw preventing their one hundred percent start.
Hull FC: Connor, Faraimo (SB on 39), Tuimavave (T), Griffin, Swift (T), McNamara, Sneyd (4G), Taylor, Houghton, Sao, Savelio (T), Lane, Cator. Subs: Fash, Bowden, Bowden, Johnstone.
Wakefield Trinity: Jowitt, Kershaw (T), Lyne, Arundel, Kay, Lino (T, G), Hampshire, Fifita, Wood K, Tanginoa, Pitts, Batchelor (T), Westerman. Subs: Battye, Green, Crowther, Arona.
Half-Time: 8-6.
Full-Time: 20-14.
Referee: Ben Thaler.
Score Progression: 4-0, 6-0, 8-0 : HT : 8-4, 8-6, 12-6, 14-6, 14-10, 14-14, 18-14, 20-14 : FT.
