The interim FC coach was not happy with two referee decisions in particular
Hull FC’s Lewis Martin is tackled by Hull KR’s Jai Whitbread and Elliot Minchella.
HULL FC coach Andy Last criticised two key decisions in a Magic Weekend defeat after feeling his side didn’t get the rub of the green in a close derby affair.
FC went down to an unwanted eighth successive derby loss to rivals Hull KR, but had threatened to end that streak with a comeback victory after a stirring start to the second half at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
FC found themselves trailing 12-4 at half-time but were level and hunting victory thanks to a significant momentum shift. as a converted Tom Briscoe try and a Zak Hardaker penalty turned the game on its head. Building on their spirited loss to Wigan a week earlier, FC put the errors of the first half aside and took hold of the momentum, only to lose it when Lewis Martin saw the ball knocked from his grasp to gift KR what proved to be the decisive score of the game late on in an eventual 26-12 win.
Describing himself as “frustrated” in the wake of the defeat, Last was eager to point to two referee decisions which he felt had gone against his side and had left many FC supporters confused.
“I am really frustrated. We put ourselves under a lot of pressure first half, but we fixed that up and second half we weer in the ascendancy,” explained Last.
“We got the scoreboard ticking over in our favour and then a couple of key incidents went against us. Amir Bourouh makes a break and it is quite clear that Lenny Clark is pulled back by Peta Hiku. There’s no penaltyy, there’s no six again and there’s no man in the sin bin. It is a professional foul. Those moments in big games are key, so I was frustrated by that.
“Then we have another moment at a scrum. They used a captain’s challenge and it is a knock on against Jez (Litten). It comes back as inconclusive and he changed the scum to a Hull KR head and feed. I don’t understand how that can happen. If it is inconclusive surely it is with the first decision which is a knock on? That’s another strange one.
“Then unfortunately for us Lewis Martin comes up with an error and the scoreboard gets away from us.”
The Martin error which led to Jai Whitbread’s try late on was a key moment which swung the game, leaving the young winger to deal with the focus on him post match. Last admits the team will rally around the winger after a tough moment in a big derby game.
“He’ll feel it, especially on a big stage like this,” added Last. “It was a key moment when the game was 12 all. The disappointing thing is you can’t go one out against KR coming off your try line, not with their line speed. Credit to KR because they came at him with a baseball bat and didn’t miss.
“We’ve been speaking to Harvie (Barron) and Lewis about those sort of technical things, but he’ll be hurting and we’ll rally around him.”