Hull FC end losing run with win over Huddersfield

Betfred Super League

Hull FC (12) 36

Tries: Moy, Arthur, O'Neill 2, Bourouh, Barron Goals: Sezer 6

Huddersfield (6) 12

Tries: Russell, Wrench Goals: Flanagan 2

Hull FC ended their four-match losing streak in Super League with a win which piles on the misery for bottom side Huddersfield Giants.

The visitors to the MKM Stadium had lost their previous six matches but sparked some hope among their travelling supporters by taking an early lead as Olly Russell, returning from injury, scampered over for a try.

That optimistic start soon faded in the face of some defensive laxity and poor handling by the Giants, and Hull ground their way back in front by half-time through tries from the excellent Logan Moy and Jake Arthur.

Hull opened up in the second half to take the game away from the Giants with makeshift centre Ethan O'Neill scoring his first two tries of the season, while scores from Amir Bourouh and Harvey Barron ensured Huddersfield slumped to a seventh straight defeat.

The win moved the Black and Whites up to ninth place on points difference, but they are still eight points adrift of the play-off places. However, an improved performance, especially in the second half, lifted the crowd.

They were a little stunned to go behind 10 minutes into the game as Russell finished off a sharp Giants move, but Zach Woolford accelerated from dummy half and had full-back Moy inside him to score under the posts and level the score six minutes later.

Hull edged ahead in a dull first half as Jed Cartwright's break and neat offload fed Arthur to go under the posts.

A try-saving tackle on Lee Kershaw by Cartwright and Tom Briscoe thwarted Huddersfield as they sought to hit back early in the second half, but once Leeds Rhinos loanee O'Neill had run on to Arthur's grubber kick to extend the lead, the visitors' resistance flagged.

Bourouh, who had a fine game, dashed over from dummy half for another try, and when Moy's pace again proved too hot for Huddersfield to handle, Barron was on hand to finish.

With the game won, Hull began to enjoy themselves and O'Neill, normally a second-row forward, showed he was growing into his new role with a sidestep and two hand-offs before claiming his second try.

Connor Wrench gave the visiting fans something to cheer with a fine solo try late on but the problems keep mounting for new head coach Jim Lenihan.

Hull FC interim head coach Andy Last told BBC Radio Humberside:

"We spoke about the importance of this match on the back of an important week for us, with it being Hull&Proud Week, and we certainly got a strong performance.

"I was really pleased we scored some points, and some nice tries, and thought we had a really nice balance to our game.

"When we had to do the hard work, we did that well, and when we had to open it up and play a bot more expansively, we did that really well.

"We thought we had to play the long game against Huddersfield. They're a little bit like us, a little bit out of sorts and low on confidence, so we had to make sure we put the necessary fatigue into the opponent before we tried to play expansive.

"They scored early but what was pleasing was that I didn't sense it in the crowd, they were still fully behind us and celebrating anything that they could. That made a difference to the mindset of the players and we ended up getting in at half-time in front."

Huddersfield Giants coach Jim Lenihan said:

"At half-time we had a good position where we were competing OK, but we mentally let the game go.

"We're working hard and we're doing a really tough job, but at the moment other sides are working harder than us. We've got to stay in the game mentally as much as physically."

Hull FC: Moy; Barron, O'Neill, L. Kemp, Briscoe; Arthur, Sezer; Mata'utia, Bourouh, Hill, Batchelor, Cartwright, Kirby.

Interchanges: Ese'ese, Hutchinson, Salabio, Wood.

Huddersfield: Flanagan; Kershaw, Wrench, Gagai, Milne; Lolohea, Russell; Powell, Greenwood, O'Donnell, Rogers, Woolford, Patolo.

Interchanges: Burgess, King, Cozza, Geyer.

Referee: Tara Jones.