Super League: Wigan Warriors 19-18 Hull FC - Late Harry Smith drop-goal gives hosts win

Harry Smith has scored two match-winning drop-goals for Wigan Warriors this season

Harry Smith's 78th-minute drop-goal gifted Wigan Warriors a narrow victory against Hull FC to send them top of the Super League table.

Jai Field sent the hosts ahead but Adam Swift and Danny Houghton went over to put the visitors in front at the break.

Ethan Havard hit back for Wigan early in the second half before Chris Satae sent Hull back in front soon after.

Field once again went over to level it at 18-18 but Smith successfully kicked from long range to seal it for Wigan.

The result moves Wigan above Catalans and St Helens to the top of the Super League table and ends Hull's three-game winning run, with the visitors remaining in fifth.

After Field had put Wigan in front, two quickfire tries from Swift and Houghton put Hull in a commanding position just before the half-time hooter.

Houghton's score came following a succession of excellent passes on the wing before he was played clean through to touch down and complete an impressive first-half turnaround.

Satae's try came courtesy of some great work from Joe Lovodua who found him in space and put in a last-ditch offload for him to score Hull's third.

But Field, who is Super League's top try-scorer this season, scored his ninth try of the campaign after a clever dummy to run in almost from halfway.

Hull FC had been just minutes away from taking the game to golden point before Smith scored his second match-winning drop-goal of the season, repeating his heroics from their game against Toulouse.

Thursday's fixture was also the first for Bevan French since May 2021 as the Wigan playmaker made his return from injury.

Wigan Warriors boss Matt Peet told BBC Radio Manchester:

"We were very committed. I think it showed a lot about the fitness and togetherness of the group. It showed more about our spirit and tenacity rather than anything else.

"We feel us and Hull are two pretty evenly-matched teams and that's how it panned out.

"Jai Field is a class act. We've got a few players like that who can turn the game and I thought he was good on both sides of the balls. He took some dangerous kicks and aggressive contacts but he seems to be enjoying the tough side at the moment."

Hull FC coach Brett Hodgson told BBC Radio Humberside:

"It was a tight contest. We'll learn a lot out of today. We did a lot of defending early in the game, which then probably made us lack energy in the back end.

"The effort was outstanding with a short turnaround. They had 10 sets to our five and we just weren't clinical enough.

"I'm disappointed, I think we all are, but the effort was outstanding and that's the one thing we ask of the players and we will learn from this."

Wigan: Field, Hardaker, Bateman, Bibby, Marshall, Cust, Smith, Singleton, Powell, Byrne, Isa, Farrell, Smithies.

Interchanges: French, Mago, Partington, Havard.

Hull FC: Connor, Swift, Vulikijapani, Griffin, McIntosh, Lovadua, Gale, Sao, Houghton, Satae, Savelio, Ma'u, Lane.

Interchanges: Brown, Fash, Johnstone, Wynne.

Referee: Robert Hicks.

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