Hull FC move second with well-earned win at Wire

Betfred Super League

Warrington (4) 16

Tries: Williams, Thewlis, Ashton 2

Hull FC (26) 28

Tries: Briscoe 2, Litten 2, Ese'ese Goals: Pryce 4

Hull FC bounced back from their Challenge Cup derby defeat by Hull KR as they beat Warrington Wolves to move up to second in the Super League table.

Tom Briscoe touched down for a double either side of Davy Litten's try as Hull raced out of the blocks, with Herman Ese'ese sending them further ahead soon after.

George Williams got Warrington off the mark but Litten crashed in right on the hooter to solidify Hull's impressive first-half showing.

Josh Thewlis went in after Hull's Jack Ashworth was sent to the sin-bin, and Matty Ashton touched down twice to set up a thrilling finale, but the visitors held out for a well-earned win.

Impressively for John Cartwright's side, Hull FC registered their seventh win of the season with victory at the Halliwell Jones Stadium - with all seven coming away from home.

It was a complete contrast in fortunes for either side after last week's Challenge Cup quarter-finals, as Warrington struggled to gain traction despite beating St Helens last time round, while Hull looked a different side to the one that was well beaten by near neighbours KR seven days previously.

Hull's lead came in the immediate aftermath of a scrum right in front of the Warrington posts - with the Airlie Birds working the ball to the right wing for Briscoe to go in at the corner.

The visitors' second came in impressive fashion as Warrington failed to deal with the impressive Cade Cust's kick to the line, with Litten swiftly grounding the ball.

Ten minutes after his first, Briscoe added to his tally for the evening in similar fashion, dotting down in the right-hand corner as Hull worked the ball wide - and the visitors were not done there.

Ese'ese crossed for the sixth game in a row to give Hull an impressive 20-point advantage before Warrington mustered a reply when Williams crashed over.

Litten's second was even better than his first and it came via some wayward Warrington defending, as he successfully chased - and touched down - from his own tame kick which the hosts failed to deal with.

The visitors were reduced to 12 men when Jack Ashworth was shown a yellow card for going in late on Jordy Crowther, and Warrington took less than two minutes to make their advantage count when Thewlis went over following some incredible build-up play from Williams to find the space to send him through.

It was an uncharacteristically poor night with the boot for Warrington's Marc Sneyd, as he failed to hit the target with any of his kicks, yet he remonstrated with the officials in the aftermath of his attempts following Ashton's tries to no avail.

Warrington Wolves head coach Sam Burgess told BBC Radio Merseyside:

"We missed the jump. I thought the game had an opportunity in the first 10 minutes and we didn't take it. They're a good side and have got a lot of old heads and they know how to grind a game out. They gave us way too much to do.

"I'm always proud of them, they try their backsides off. They tried their hardest in the second half but they came up against a quality side with some tough heads who know how to win.

"The players are disappointed. I'd expect them to be. It didn't look like us today and they know that. We've got a week to fix it, though."

Hull FC head coach John Cartwright told BBC Radio Humberside:

"We made it pretty hard for ourselves in the second half. Our ball control and our discipline was as good as it's been in the first half.

"I thought we created lots of opportunities and we finally were able to get points off the back of it. But being honest with ourselves, if we want to make an impression in the competition and compete with the big boys, you can't do what we did in the second half.

"They're a very dangerous side and we let them back into the game. Looking down the track for improvement, we do have areas we can improve for sure."

Warrington: Dufty; Thewlis, Currie, Tai, Ashton; Williams, Sneyd; Musgrove, Walker, Vaughan, Holroyd, Fitzgibbon, Harrison.

Interchanges: Powell, Yates, Philbin, Crowther.

Hull FC: Pryce; Briscoe, Rapana, Litten, Martin; Cust, Sezer; Ese'ese, Bourouh, Knight, Hardaker, Chamberlain, Asiata.

Interchanges: Ashworth, Aydin, Eseh, Moy.

Sin-bin: Ashworth (46).

Referee: Aaron Moore.