Hull FC’s long wait for a home win goes on, with St Helens running out 13-6 winners at the MKM Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Saints just about edged it, with the Black and Whites their own worst enemies once again.
They were too erratic with the ball, and they failed to mount the necessary pressure early on, instead chasing the game and ultimately running out of steam in what was a gritty second-half fightback.
In fact, it says everything about Hull this year that they were still in this game at half-time and going into the final quarter. Under John Cartwright, they fight to the end, and they work hard, but they’ve got to be smarter with the ball and their pass selections.
The first attacking set of the second half told the story. Hull had a great chance to hit back. They get the scrum, 20 out, but they knocked on first tackle. That pattern was frequent and, in the end, was their undoing.
There’s plenty of spirit in this Hull team, but until they get the polish to go with their performance, the top six is going to be a big ask, with the side now locked on as many league defeats as they are wins.
There’s work to do, even if the side were led by a superb performance from veteran Zak Hardaker at full-back. Slotting in at the back for the first time in Hull colours, Hardaker was immense and sums up Hull’s never-say-die attitude.
But it’s finesse they need. They have to ice the killer moments when they get them, and ultimately, they went against the grain too long, scrambling to stay in the game before launching their assault.
The Black and Whites endured what felt like an uphill climb in the first half. It was the Saints who got the first territory, and they soon got the scoreboard ticking through a Jonny Lomax penalty goal, with Liam Knight penalised for an off-the-ball hit.
The away side then extended that advantage, scoring through Kyle Feldt, with the winger finishing a well-executed left-to-right move to score. That saw Saints 8-0 to the good – an advantage their early field position warranted, with Hull having to roll their sleeves up to avoid the game getting beyond them.
They did just that. They stood firm in defence, with Harvey Barron, for one, coming up with some big defensive plays, and eventually started to get back into it. But the home side were hindered with their ball retention. They made errors in contact, and when finally getting some favourable ball, they didn’t mount pressure, letting Saints off the hook.
In truth, Hull forced the play when they needed to stay calm and build. They failed to do that, with Jed Cartwright, on return to the side after four months out with a hamstring injury, making two errors. The back rower wasn’t on his own, with Herman Ese’ese and Sam Eseh making uncharacteristic spills.
That ensured Saints’ eight-point advantage stood at the break, with Hull’s grittiness at least ensuring they were in the contest going into the second half. But that grip loosened at the start of the second half. The home outfit had the first chance, with a mistake from the visitors giving them an opportune set and chance to score, but they coughed it up almost instantly.
Saints then scored again. They broke through Harry Robertson on their right edge, with Feldt then able to take Mybe’s kick to twist his way over to score. They had chances to extend that lead again, but Hull stood firm.
That defensive grit then earned its reward, with Hull scoring a long-range try from nothing. Aidan Sezer came onto the pass at pace, took the line on, and burst through, with Davy Litten then having the pace to get himself in support and fend off the Saints cover defence to score. Hardaker’s conversion brought Hull back within a converted try.
The Black and Whites kept going – they defended well and tried to land the blow that would draw them level, but to no avail. Instead, it was Saints, with roughly two minutes on the clock, who finally sealed the game, with Lomax slotting over a late drop-goal to edge them home, and with that, take a huge step in their own top six hopes. For the Saints, it’s looking pretty. For Hull, there’s work to do.
Teams
Hull Starting XIII: 3. Zak Hardaker; 2. Harvey Barron, 1. Jordan Rapana, 20. Davy Litten, 22. Lewis Martin; 14. Cade Cust, 7. Aidan Sezer; 8. Herman Ese’ese, 9. Amir Bourouh, 40. Liam Knight; 17. Jack Ashworth, 4. Ed Chamberlain; 16. Yusuf Aydin
Interchange: 5. Tom Briscoe, 11. Jed Cartwright, 19. Brad Fash, 39. Sam Eseh. 18th Man: 24. Jack Charles
St Helens Starting XIII: 6. Tristan Sailor; 2. Kyle Feldt, 26. Harry Robertson, 16. Matt Whitley, 30. Owen Dagnall; 7. Jonny Lomax, 14. Moses Mybe; 8. Alex Walmsley, 9. Daryl Clark, 10. Matty Lees; 11. Curtis Sironen, 18. Jake Wingfield; 13. Morgan Knowles
Interchange: 17. Agnatius Paasi, 19. George Delaney, 21. Noah Stephens, 23. Jake Burns. 18th Man: 5. Jon Bennison
Scorers
Hull Tries: Litten. Goals: Hardaker 1/1
St Helens Tries: Feldt 2. Goals: Lomax 2/3. Drop Goal: Lomax
Scoring System: 0-2, 0-8, HT, 0-12, 6-12, 6-13, FT
Referee: Liam Moore
Attendance: 11,355