Super League: Hull FC 31-24 Widnes Vikings

Hull scrum-half Liam Harris scored the third of his side's five tries against Widnes

Hull FC maintained their outside hopes of a Super League top-four place by narrowly beating bottom club Widnes.

The Black and Whites led 16-12 at the break before briefly trailing 22-24 in a nine-try thriller.

But after Jake Connor levelled with a penalty, he dropped a goal and improved Bureta Faraimo's late try for an 11-point individual haul to seal victory.

Albert Kelly, Hakium Miloudi, Liam Harris and Carlos Tuimavave were the other scorers for fifth-placed Hull.

Widnes scored four tries through Charly Runciman, debutant winger Owen Buckley, Sam Wilde and Jay Chapelhow.

• St Helens 34-30 Wakefield Trinity

• Warrington 30-14 Salford Red Devils

• Hull KR 37-10 Huddersfield Giants

But their 12th consecutive league defeat means they are still to win under interim coach Francis Cummins, leaving them five points adrift of Hull KR, who hammered Huddersfield.

Connor - celebrating the award of a new three-year contract extension - played the starring role for Hull to end the Vikings' hopes of a shock.

He returned from his brilliant display on England duty against New Zealand in Denver last weekend to dig Lee Radford's side out of a hole.

After his 40-metre penalty got Hull back on level terms on 64 minutes, his cool drop goal four minutes later was then followed by a tremendous touchline conversion when Kelly sent in winger Faraimo at the corner.

Hull head coach Lee Radford:

"We needed to get Jake on the ball a hit more in the second half and we did that. The improvements were there to see.

"He only had one training session with us. Both him and Scott Taylor had done a fair amount of travelling but to have them back was important.

"It was a big two points. It was a strange sort of game. There was a difficult period before half-time and they got back in the fold. You could hear a pin drop in the stadium and the atmosphere was really low.

"But what was really pleasing was the last 15 minutes. They were difficult, challenging circumstances for us. And how they brought it home I was over the moon with."

Widnes interim head coach Francis Cummins told BBC Radio Merseyside:

"I'm still gutted about the result. We were there and in a great position but they had a little bit more than us at the end.

"Some people are just not sticking to the system, which is something we're going to have to work on.

"If they're to keep the shirt then they're going to have to improve on that.

"Apart from that, we worked really hard and collectively we're really strong so I'm really pleased."

Hull: Shaul; Faraimo, Connor, Tuimavave, Miloudi; Kelly, Harris; Taylor, Houghton, Paea, Manu, Minichiello, Hadley.

Interchanges: Washbrook, Fash, Logan, Matongo.

Widnes: Hanbury; Ah Van, Runciman, Inu, Buckley; Mellor, Craven; J Chapelhow, Heremaia, Dudson, Wilde, Hauraki, Olbison.

Replacements: Gerrard, Whitley, Leuluai, D Walker.

Referee: Greg Dolan (RFL).