Super League: Leigh Leopards 28-16 Hull FC - Adrian Lam's side record eighth win in row

Josh Charnley (left) and Ricky Leutele were a thorn in Hull's side throughout on the left edge

Leigh Leopards recorded their eighth win in a row in all competitions with victory over a Hull FC side who took them right to the wire.

Gareth O'Brien, ex-Black and White Tom Briscoe and Josh Charnley established a 16-10 half-time lead, with Adam Swift and Darnell McIntosh replying.

Charnley's second try took Leigh clear, before Josh Griffin kept up his scoring for Hull to set up a nervy finale.

Joe Mellor scored late on to move Leigh level with leaders Catalans.

Adrian Lam's Leigh have really staked their play-off credentials this season with impressive wins over St Helens, Warrington and Hull KR, and showed again why they must be considered challengers.

Tony Smith's Hull were blitzed at the MKM Stadium earlier in the season but were much improved here, despite this loss in which they were clapped off by their travelling support.

The Leopards opened Hull up early on with John Asiata linking play from loose-forward, and Lachlan Lam and Mellor chimed in off the back of that with devastating impact.

Hull could not cope with the ruck speed as O'Brien waltzed in on the left just as Charnley would do later, while in between Briscoe then added a try from a smart scrum move that was repeated in the second half in mirror image for Charnley's second.

Tony Smith's side had showed comeback qualities to overhaul Warrington at Magic Weekend, and suggested they could do so again.

First, when Liam Sutcliffe took a Jake Clifford pass and slipped Swift over for a score, and then when McIntosh's dive for the line was awarded despite Leigh appeals in the absence of a video referee.

However, Clifford went off for a head injury assessment that he failed, and without a key playmaker Hull lost some of their attacking rhythm.

Charnley grabbed Leigh's second, as Hull continued to hand opportunities through ill-discipline, but they could not quite pull clear as Griffin blasted in off a short-ball to again reduce arrears.

Having survived a series of raids on their line, Mellor took advantage of a tiring defence to step through and send the ground into delirium as Leigh celebrated an important win.

Leigh coach Adrian Lam:

"I didn't think I'd ever be able to say we were third in the table. But we are working hard and we deserve it.

"Some of the rugby we have played in the last two months has been spectacular. But as a group we know we can still improve.

"I knew at some stage we would hit the wall after playing for 60 minutes with 12 men against Wakefield at Magic [after Ben Reynolds was red carded].

"You see the effects from that the following week and that's probably why we were a bit flat at times and not as streamlined as we have been. We were very resilient and forced an error from Hull FC at the end to get the last try.

"Everyone is playing to the best of their ability at the moment, which is a good sign. I am grateful that we've been able to manage the tough parts of games. I was disappointed with the tries we conceded but to be honest I knew we'd be a bit off."

Hull FC head coach Tony Smith told BBC Radio Humberside:

"I thought we were a bit off it, you have to get off to a good start at Leigh, it's loud and they get their fans right behind them.

"It makes it hard. We left it too long, they were 12-0 up before we sort of struck a chord. We were off with our defensive efforts, our line speed hasn't been that slow, and we weren't on the front foot.

"We showed some fighting spirit when we weren't at our best, and we gave ourselves a chance to get back into that game, but I've got to credit the opposition, they were just bit sharper than us at the crucial moments."

Leigh: O'Brien; Briscoe, Hardaker, Leutele, Charnley; Mellor, Lam; Amone, Ipape, Mulhern, O'Donnell, Holmes, Asiata.

Interchanges: Wilde, Seumanufagai, Norman, Davis.

Hull FC: Hoy; McIntosh, Tuimavave, Sutcliffe, Swift; Trueman, Clifford; Fash, Houghton, Taylor, Lane, Griffin, Cator.

Interchanges: Brown, Dwyer, Sao, Savelio.

Referee: Ben Thaler

• Super League Show - watch and catch-up here