Hull 18 Crusaders 16: Noble rages as Tickle leaves Hull laughing in fourth place

DANNY TICKLE kicked a last-second penalty to give 12-man Hull a dramatic and controversial win over the Crusaders that could earn Brian Noble a reprimand from the RFL.

Crusaders coach Noble confronted referee James Child on the touchline and then on the field at the end after the official awarded a penalty for a foul on Reece Lyne that allowed Tickle to win it for Hull from the touchline and keep them in fourth place.

The home side's league position was not the story, though, as Child – who awarded 21 penalties in total – had to contend with Noble's anger, having earlier sent off Hull's Jordan Tansey.

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The 75th-minute dismissal of Tansey for a late tackle on Clinton Schifcofske had allowed the Crusaders to level at 16-16 through former Hull man Peter Lupton and, although they remain in the top eight, that is unlikely to be of any comfort to Noble.

Hull were rocked by a fifth-minute injury to Jordan Turner when the centre was forced to exit the field with an arm injury. Things got worse when Crusaders opened the scoring after 15 minutes through Luke Dyer.

Schifcofske slotted the conversion from the touchline and then added a penalty eight minutes later, before Hull got themselves going with a 27th-minute try from Lyne, who finished off Kirk Yeaman's offload.

Tickle added the conversion and gave Hull a four-point lead at the break as he added three penalties in quick succession.

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The stop-start nature of the tie continued after the break, with Schifcofske splitting the posts from close range after another penalty was awarded, before Tickle added a further two penalties for Hull.

The closest either side came to scoring a try was when Yeaman burst through the Crusaders line, only to be hauled to the floor. Schifcofske then broke through for the visitors, but appeared to be spear-tackled by Tansey, and after he was dismissed, Lupton crossed after bursting onto Sammut's pass, and Schifcofske converted.

But there was still time for the controversy which allowed Tickle to convert the winner.

Hull FC: Tansey, Lyne, Turner, Yeaman, T. Briscoe, Washbrook, Berrigan, O'Meley, Houghton, Radford, Manu, Tickle, Fitzgibbon. Substitutes: Dowes, Cusack, Lauaki, Moa.

Crusaders RL: Schifcofske, Dyer, Martin, Chan, Youngquest, Sammut, Hanbury, O'Hara, Withers, Bryant, Winternstein, Hauraki, Lupton. Substitutes: Lee, James, Peek, Trimarchi.

Referee: J Childs (RFL).

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