Hull FC coach Lee Radford bemoans poor decision-making in defeat to Wigan
He said: “Two things in particular cost us. Errors really hurt us throughout the game but our game management at the end was unbelievably frustrating.
“In the changing rooms, we are saying ‘great effort’ but effort gets you so far and you need other ingredients if we want to be in the mix.
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Hide Ad“We had an opportunity to be two points behind Wigan in the table and it’s incredibly frustrating.
“Some of the decision-making from key players was really frustrating.”
In a bizarre finale, Wigan went for a drop goal to win the game, but when the ball rebounded off the crossbar, they caught Hull napping to score a try and end their three-game losing streak.
Hull missed out on the chance to return to the top four after coming from 8-0 down to lead 10-8 with 10 minutes to play.
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Hide AdBoth sides were prepared to throw the ball around early on and it was Wigan who came close to scoring first but Tom Davies was bundled into touch before he could ground the ball.
Warriors took the lead in the 25th minute. A Hull attack broke down 10 metres from the Wigan line with George Williams intercepting a pass and releasing the faster Liam Marshall to take the visitors deep into Hull territory. In the next play, Williams’s kick was grounded by Dan Sarginson just before Hakim Miloudi pushed him out of play. Sam Tomkins made it 6-0 with the conversion.
Tomkins was again on target on the half-hour mark when he added a penalty to make it 8-0.
When Hull’s attack did click, it worked a treat as Bureta Faraimo powered his way through two Wigan defenders to score between the posts.
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Hide AdJake Connor, called up for England’s mid-season Test against New Zealand in Denver, obliged to make it 8-6 just before half-time.
A flowing move from left to right was finished in style by Faraimo to score his second try of the game and his 11th in the league this season soon after the restart.
Connor could not add the conversion, but Hull were in front at 10-8.
Wigan came close to regaining the lead with 12 minutes remaining but a forward pass from Oliver Gildart to Marshall ruled out the winger’s try.
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Hide AdOn the very next play, Jack Logan lost possession and Hull’s problems mounted when they conceded a penalty 21 metres out. Tomkins made no mistake and drew the sides level at 10-10 with 10 minutes to play.
Hull felt they should have had a penalty when Albert Kelly was hit after a high kick but Tony Clubb’s challenge went unpunished.
In a bizarre twist, Tomkins’s drop goal rebounded off the bar, and into the arms of Sean O’Loughlin, who did not panic.
Wigan had numbers outside on their left wing where Marshall glided over the line to win the two points for the Warriors, who closed the gap on leaders St Helens to six points.
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Hide AdHull FC: Shaul, Faraimo, Connor, Tuimavave, Miloudi, Kelly, Harris, Taylor, Houghton, Green, Downs, Minichiello, Washbrook. Replacements: Fash, Paea, Logan, Matongo.
Wigan Warriors: Tomkins, Davies, Sarginson, Gildart, L. Marshall, Williams, Powell, Clubb, Leuluai, Flower, Bateman, Isa, O’Loughlin. Replacements: Escare, Navarrete, Field, Hamlin.
Referee: Robert Hicks (RFL).