Hull FC 14 Wigan Warriors 10: Debutant Jake Trueman the hero in unexpected fashion

The Black and Whites were disjointed and collapsed at the first hint of pressure, an unwanted trait that has followed the club around in recent times.

Whisper it quietly in west Hull but Tony Smith's men may just have turned the corner after backing up a gritty win over Huddersfield Giants with another huge effort to see off Super League leaders Wigan Warriors in driving rain at the MKM Stadium.

Hull showed commitment, resilience and a desire to defend, the kind of traits that have been missing for too long.

Smith will know they are not the finished article but there is evidence that the penny has dropped with a side he inherited at the end of last year.

The Hull boss was unable to call on Jake Trueman in the opening 10 rounds as he completed his comeback from an ACL injury suffered in Castleford Tigers colours in July 2022.

All eyes were on the debutant's attacking contribution but he came up with a match-winning play, albeit a professional foul which earned him a last-minute yellow card after Davy Litten dropped a high kick.

Hull survived one last attack on their own line to complete a deserved win full of grit and determination.

There was no sign of the drama to come when the Black and Whites raced into a 14-0 lead.

There was a sense early on that Hull were in the mood but their opening try owed to a slice of fortune.

Referee Ben Thaler signalled a penalty for offside to spare Darnell McIntosh's blushes after the winger dropped a high kick and he took full advantage of the let-off in the next set.

Jake Clifford, whose kicking game tested Wigan throughout, was the architect with a smart chip to the corner and McIntosh had enough time to wait for it to bounce before finishing.

Wigan had their moments after seeing Clifford nail the touchline conversion, Liam Farrell firing a warning shot with a trademark break on the left edge.

The Warriors lacked a cutting edge until the closing stages of the first half, by which time they were chasing the game.

With centres Liam Sutcliffe and Carlos Tuimavave punching holes in the Wigan defence and Danny Houghton scheming out of dummy-half, Hull were playing with confidence and throwing plenty at their visitors.

Clifford forced a repeat set with a pinpoint cross-field kick and was soon celebrating a try that his early work merited.

Houghton asked repeated questions of the Wigan defence on the short side and Clifford found a way through on the last tackle when he stretched out to touch down.

Clifford knocked over the conversion and added a penalty after the Warriors were caught offside to give Hull a three-score lead at the half-hour mark.

The momentum swung two minutes before the break after the Black and Whites failed to heed numerous warnings on their right edge.

Iain Thornley went close on several occasions before finally finding a way through from a scrum play.

His finish in the corner was improved by Harry Smith to cut the deficit to 14-6 and give the game a different complexion at the interval.

Trueman was introduced by Smith and it was a bright start to the second half by Hull, Chris Satae getting the crowd on their feet with a powerful run after the hosts claimed the restart.

But as the rain fell heavier, Wigan started to turn the screw.

Joe Shorrocks recovered from a fumble to force a repeat set with a kick that held up on the sodden pitch and the Warriors scored from the drop-out through Thornley following a simple shift to the left.

Smith missed from the touchline but Wigan were on the charge in the kind of arm wrestle they relish.

There were signs of anxiety from Hull when wingers McIntosh and Cam Scott dropped high kicks in quick succession, while Brad Dwyer was grateful for resolute defence following a sloppy play the ball on his own 40.

The Black and Whites were defending for their lives, a far cry from recent efforts against Salford Red Devils and Hull KR on home soil.

Wigan threatened when Jake Wardle's kick dribbled out of Bevan French's reach, while Houghton's grubber took a wicked bounce away from McIntosh at the other end after Trueman had used the greasy conditions to knock the ball from Thornley's grasp.

Hull defended a stone-cold drop from Satae and saw off one final Wigan raid after Trueman took one for the team to secure a win that will do wonders for belief.

Hull FC: Litten, McIntosh, Tuimavave, Sutcliffe, Scott, Clifford, McNamara, Fash, Houghton, Sao, Griffin, Lane, Cator. Substitutes: Trueman, Satae, Taylor, Dwyer.

Wigan Warriors: French, Miski, King, Wardle, Thornley, Shorrocks, Smith, Havard, Powell, Byrne, Pearce-Paul, Farrell, Smithies. Substitutes: Mago, O'Neill, Hill, Nsemba.

Referee: Ben Thaler.