Warrington Wolves 12 Hull FC 19: Jake Connor in the middle of controversy during heroic Hull FC win

The East Yorkshire club, who lost 80-10 on their last visit to the Halliwell Jones Stadium and were missing 10 first-team players today, delivered a superb display, defending heroically for large periods against their prolific opponents.

They were 18-6 up but increasingly needing to defend when Connor - in possession - stopped play to complain to referee James Child about a bite mark on his wrist in the 50th minute.

Declan Patton seemed to be the player he was accusing and the official placed the alleged offence on report.

Blake Austin - who scored four tries when Warrington embarrassed Hull 63-12 at the KCOM Stadium in March - twisted over to finally break them down two minutes later.

However, it was just two minutes after that when centre Connor was yellow-carded.

He had mopped up a loose ball near his own line before, ironically, being tackled by Patton and then losing it.

However, a melee broke out and replays - being shown on the stadium's big screen before Child made his decision - showed the 24-year-old aiming a punch at former Kiwi centre Goodwin.

The referee had a long discussions with captains Marc Sneyd and Chris Hill before brandishing the yellow.

It was a sign of 12-man Hull’s desire and spirit, though, that they continued to hold out while one of their star men was off the field.

Ratu Naulago, with help from Scott Taylor, did brilliantly to somehow prevent Goodwin touching down and Radford’s side - under pressure for most of the second period - kept battling away.

Then, fittingly, just moments after Connor returned to the field, Sneyd fired over a drop-goal to ease all the pressure.

It was only Warrington’s fourth defeat all year but - despite all their attacking prowess - they had few answers against Hull’s steely resolve.

Full-back Jamie Shaul made an outstanding return, playing his first game in almost two months after concussion issues and producing three try-saving tackles.

It was three FC tries inside just nine first-half minutes that initially stunned Warrington, though, and set the platform for a victory that sees Hull move up to third just behind their opponents.

Depleted Hull had been hit with late problems when captain Danny Houghton suffered a calf injury at the end of yesterday’s final practice session.

From the side that defeated Castleford Tigers in the Challenge Cup last week, they also lost Gareth Ellis (knee), winger Bureta Fariamo (dead leg) and Sika Manu, the Tonga back-row who had been ever-present this term.

All of which meant Radford had to unexpectedly bring utility player Danny Washbrook in at hooker for Houghton while 21-year-old Kieran Buchanan made only his second Hull appearance on the wing.

Given such absenteeism and enforced changes, it would have been easy to foresee another heavy defeat for the Black and Whites who had conceded a massive 143 points against these opponents in their last two meetings alone.

Indeed, Warrington - who won 63-12 at the KCOM Stadium in March - scored inside just 10 minutes when, understandably, Austin targeted Buchanan with a high kick and saw the rookie spill, Toby King mopping up.

Stefan Ratchford converted but his side, bizarrely, let the restart bounce and it fizzed straight back into the arms of Albert Kelly.

Soon after, Mickey Paea muscled over from close range after good work from Scott Taylor and Hull’s blitz had begun.

They scored again almost immediately after England prop Hill flopped in the tackle during the restart set and Sneyd dabbed in an early grubber that caught everyone apart from an onrushing Taylor flat-footed.

Hull fans could not believe it when their side added a third in the 23rd minute and it was a quality effort.

Radford’s side offloaded numerous times - Washbrook, Dean Hadley and Naulago all finding passes - to torment the Wire defence in their own 20 but, typically, it was Sneyd who came up with the killer ball.

The Lance Todd Trophy winner fired out a flat pass to his half-back partner Kelly who showed great strength to blast over for Sneyd to tag on his third conversion.

Washbrook excelled in his stint at nine, constantly getting his side moving as they looked to spread the ball as much as possible, but there was so many great performers, not least Nalago, Josh Griffin and Hadley.

Thereafter, Warrington inevitably started to apply some pressure of their own but Hull were more than capable of standing up to it.

Hadley, superb at back-row and then hooker, stopped England’s Ben Currie in his tracks on the line and then Ben Murdoch-Masila was somehow denied.

Shaul made his first try-saving tackle on Goodwin but Hull were let off the hook when Buchanan spilled another kick, Child ruling there was a knock-on before Murdoch-Masila touched down.

Hull led 18-6 at the break but needed Shaul - with help from Sneyd - to deny Josh Charnley at the start of the second half.

Shaul then popped up to cling on to Austin, too, after a Charnley break.

Austin finally got over but his side would not score again and Warrington’s hopes of a fightback were ended by that remarkable resilient effort, Naulago rallying yet again to force Sitaleki Akauola into touch at the end.

Akauola then charged into Taylor with a punishing drive that flattened the Hull prop in the 78th minute.

Murdoch-Masila charged in afterwards and was yellow-carded, leaving elated FC fans to rejoice a famous win.

Warrington Wolves: Ratchford; Charnley, King, Atkins, Goodwin; Austin, Patton; Hill, D Clark, Cooper, Currie, Hughes, Westwood. Substitutes: Philbin, Murdoch-Masila, J Clark, Akauola.

Hull FC: Shaul; Naulago, Connor, Griffin, Buchanan; Kelly, Sneyd; Taylor, Washbrook, Paea, Hadley, Minichiello, Westerman. Substitutes: Green, Thompson, Matongo, Fash.

Referee: James Child (Dewsbury)