Warrington 22-22 Hull FC: Matty Russell hat-trick snatches draw
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 02/04/17 8:47pm
Matty Russell grabbed a hat-trick of tries as Warrington staged a tremendous second-half fightback to earn a 22-22 draw against Hull FC.
The Wolves, who began last season with seven straight wins, look destined to open up with a seventh straight defeat when they trailed 20-4 late in the first half.
But they turned the game on its head with a rousing comeback to earn their first point of the season after both teams missed a flurry of drop-goal attempts in a frantic finish.
Hull, who ended Warrington's winning run 12 months ago, will be kicking themselves for not competing a fifth consecutive win as they capitulated in the second half for the second week in a row.
Lee Radford's men were 22-0 up at Wigan a week earlier and ended up having to cling on for a 22-20 victory and they could not have complained had Wolves snatched victory at the end.
Hull, who gave a debut to young hooker Jez Litten in the absence of Man of Steel Danny Houghton, were dominant from the start, earning themselves three consecutive sets of tackles in the Warrington half and the pressure told when in-form stand-off Albert Kelly forced his way over for his eighth try in his last five matches.
Marc Sneyd kicked the first of his five goals to make it 6-0 and Kelly went close to pulling off an interception as the Wolves began shakily, demonstrating their shortage of confidence after making their worst start to a Super League campaign.
Russell produced a powerful finish to score his first try on 13 minutes but the Hull twice punished wayward passing to establish a comfortable lead by half-time.
Centre Jake Connor intercepted a Kevin Brown pass to go 90 metres for a try and full-back Jamie Shaul added another long-range effort after Stefan Ratchford dropped a rash pass from Jack Hughes.
Sneyd converted all three tries and kicked a penalty as the visitors led 20-4 before conceding a second try to Russell a minute before the break.
The Wolves thought they had scored again early in the second half but winger Rhys Evans' try was disallowed for a forward pass and Sneyd increased his side's lead with a second penalty.
Hooker Daryl Clark began the Warrington fightback when he forced his way over his side's third try on 54 minutes, shortly after re-entering the action following a rest, and Kurt Gidley's first goal from three attempts cut the deficit to eight points.
And it was down to just two on 64 minutes when Russell came up with another brilliant finish to complete his hat-trick, with Gidley converting from the touchline.
Warrington thought they had taken the lead when England prop Mike Cooper stretched out for the line only to lose control of the ball but they at least drew level with a Gidley penalty 10 minutes from the end.
Ratchford was then narrowly wide with a long-range drop-goal attempt before Sneyd was similarly off target at the other end.
As the tension mounted, Gidley fluffed the easiest drop-goal chance and Sneyd failed with another ambitious effort as the game ended in dramatic stalemate.
