Hull go third with battling win at Wakefield

Betfred Super League

Wakefield (8) 12

Tries: Croft, Scott Goals: Lino 2

Hull FC (6) 16

Tries: Ese'ese, Chamberlain, Martin Goals: Sezer 2

Hull FC's positive start to the Super League campaign continued with a fine comeback victory at Wakefield Trinity.

Tries from Herman Ese'ese, Ed Chamberlain and Lewis Martin earned the Black and Whites a third Super League victory of the season.

Tries from Jack Croft and Cameron Scott proved to be in vain for the hosts in front of a sell-out crowd at The DIY Kitchens Stadium.

Hull FC - who have already exceeded their points tally from last year - climb to third in the early-season table, while Wakefield drop one place to eighth.

Herman Ese'ese got Hull on the board with an excellent individual try

With four minutes on the clock, Samoan Mason Lino opened the scoring for the hosts when he slotted over a penalty in front of the sticks after it was adjudged a Hull goal-line dropout had not gone 10 yards.

Wakefield dominated the opening exchanges and when hooker Liam Hood's short pass found Croft, he found a gap in the Hull defence to dive over from close range for the game's first try.

A high kick from Wakefield's Oli Russell was then misjudged by Hull full-back Logan Moy before Josh Rourke touched down. But after an on-field try was awarded, the former London Broncos man was clearly in an offside position after video referee Liam Rush re-examined the footage.

Midway through the first half, the hosts got on the board when Ese'ese managed to juggle John Asiata's short reverse pass to bulldoze his way through three tackles to dive over and score.

Moments before the break, Harvey Smith's excellent linebreak through midfield put Russell in prime position to kick high for Tom Johnstone who gathered expertly to score but, for the second time in the half, Trinity were thwarted from extending their lead for an offside in the build-up.

Cameron Scott's late try for Wakefield against his former side proved to only be a consolation

Following an error-ridden start to the second half, Lino then thought he scored Wakefield's second try of the night when he dived over but play was pulled back after Mike McMeeken was found guilty of obstruction. Trinity, for the third time on the night, had a try wiped off.

It took until the hour mark for Hull's Aidan Sezer to show the form from Saturday's Challenge Cup victory at Wigan Warriors, and his pass found replacement Chamberlain who raced clear of the Trinity defence to score his first Super League try of the season in the left corner and put the visitors in front for the first time.

Sezer's useful conversion from the touchline extended the lead to four points and the Australian's delicate grubber-kick found last weekend's hat-trick hero Martin who gathered well to dot down and clinch the win.

With six minutes left, Hood offloaded to Trinity centre Scott who bravely dived over against his former club to reduce the arrears to four points but after Lino missed his conversion attempt, the hosts' chances of salvaging the game had gone.

Wakefield Trinity coach Daryl Powell told BBC Radio Leeds:

"Really disappointed obviously. We started so well and then I just think we hurt ourselves way too much, we made too many errors and we feel like we've handed the game away."

On Wakefield's three disallowed tries:

"The technology is appalling to start with - I just think what are we doing? The Tom Johnstone incident, they're saying he's onside but technology's that bad you wouldn't know anyway - there's not a lot you can do about it.

"The amount of cameras you've got, you can't see if people are onside or not. They all went against us tonight and I'm not complaining.

"There were some poor performances out there tonight and we had a lot of them. We can't do that much wrong and expect to win the game."

Hull FC coach John Cartwright told BBC Radio Humberside:

"It was a bit of a danger game for us, I think they're a really good side.

"It wasn't clinical but it was a very physical game. We gave up a try but we were able to repel it, get one of our own - to watch the game in the back end was really pleasing."

On Aidan Sezer:

"When the scoreboard's tight, it only takes one play, and he iced it.

"He's a good competitor, he's got a good kicking game and he's a good team man. He's a real father figure but he's not shy to pull someone up if they're doing something wrong - that's what you want in a leader."

Wakefield: Rourke; Pratt, Scott, Hall, Johnstone; Lino, O. Russell; McMeeken, Hood, Hamlin-Uele, Griffin, Croft, Pitts.

Interchanges: Rodwell, Atoni, Smith, Faatili.

Hull FC: Moy; Rapana, Hardaker, Briscoe, Martin; Cust, Sezer; Ese'ese, Bourouh, Knight, Cartwright, Lane, Asiata.

Interchanges: Chamberlain, Ashworth, Fash, Watts.

Referee: Aaron Moore.