Round 5
St Helens 30 d. Hull FC 29

2008 engage English Super League Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: United Kingdom > National > First Grade Competition: engage English Super League

Saints snatch last minute victory over Hull FC
Sat March 8, 2008
Source: www.superleague.co.uk

Matty Smith landed a magnificent 79th-minute penalty to hand St Helens a 30-29 victory against Hull FC in an absorbing engage Super League encounter at Knowsley Road.

Adam Dykes kicked a drop-goal in the 76th minute to put Peter Sharp's men 29-28 ahead but Smith capped an outstanding individual performance with a late two-pointer to ensure Saints took the spoils.

Stand-in scrum-half Smith trained alongside Wayne Rooney in the junior ranks at Everton but he opted for a career in rugby ahead of football.

He confirmed his rich promise with a try and five successful kicks to break Hull's hearts and reaffirm Saints' status as the comeback kings of engage Super League.

Hull arrived on Merseyside depleted by injury and having lost three of their opening four games in a miserable start to the season. They were missing Shaun Berrigan, Richard Horne, Garreth Carvell, Ewan Dowes, Lee Radford, Willie Manu and Richard Whiting.

But they made a mockery of their lengthy casualty list and powered ahead in the third minute when Dykes waltzed clear to cross the line.

Four minutes later they touched down again when hooker Danny Houghton ploughed his way through to send the sizeable contingent of visiting supporters into raptures.

Danny Tickle converted both tries to give Sharp's men a 12-0 advantage but St Helens soon woke up and produced a devastating response.

Saints were themselves desperately depleted with big names such as Sean Long, Paul Sculthorpe, Nick Fozzard, Chris Flannery, Maurie Fa'asavalu and Jason Cayless all on the sidelines.

However, they conjured a typically outstanding response which harvested two tries in four minutes.

First, a bewildering array of inter-passing in the 13th minute saw the ball pass through five pairs of hands and culminated in Matt Gidley sending Ade Gardner over in the right corner.

It was the Cumbrian's 99th career try an it was soon one-way traffic in St Helens' favour and by the 17th minute Smith had touched down.

The scrum-half converted his own try but a penalty from Tickle extended Hull's lead by two points - only for a brilliant kick from Paul Wellens to send Willie Talau clear for St Helens' third try.

Shortly before the break, James Roby and Wellens combined to send homegrown product Kyle Eastmond over to put St Helens in control at the break.

Hull, to their immense credit, began the second half in the same fashion as they had began the first.

Within two minutes of the restart, they had claimed their third try of the game as replacement Craig Hall plucked a dreadfully misplaced pass from Saints stand-off Leon Pryce out of the air and ran 70 metres to cross the line.

Three minutes later they equalled St Helens in the try-scoring stakes as young stand-off Danny Washbrook capitalised on another error in the home ranks by collecting possession and touching down in the right corner.

Tickle landed the first try but could not add the extra for Hall's effort, yet the two quick scores gave Hull a slender 24-22 advantage.

And that was added to in the 67th minute when Kirk Yeaman pounced on a kick from Dykes for a try which Tickle again failed to convert.

It proved costly as Roby touched down for a fifth try which Smith converted and although Dykes' late drop-goal encouraged hopes of a Hull victory, Smith ensured Saints claimed victory with his late penalty.

Report source: www.superleague.co.uk

SCORING ORDER
3 Hull Try by Adam Dykes
4 Hull Goal by Danny Tickle
8 Hull Try by Danny Houghton
9 Hull Goal by Danny Tickle
14 St Helens Try by Ade Gardner
15 St Helens Goal missed by Matty Smith
19 St Helens Try by Matty Smith
20 St Helens Goal by Matty Smith
28 Hull Goal by Danny Tickle
37 St Helens Try by Willie Talau
38 St Helens Goal by Matty Smith
40 St Helens Try by Kyle Eastmond
40 St Helens Goal by Matty Smith
----------
43 Hull Try by Craig Hall
45 Hull Goal by Danny Tickle
46 Hull Try by Danny Washbrook
48 Hull Goal missed by Danny Tickle
69 Hull Try by Kirk Yeaman
70 Hull Goal missed by Danny Tickle
74 St Helens Try by James Roby
75 St Helens Goal by Matty Smith
77 Hull Drop goal by Adam Dykes
80 St Helens Goal by Matty Smith


Yeaman returns for Hull FC's clash against St Helens
Fri March 7, 2008
Source: www.hullfc.com

Great Britain international Kirk Yeaman returns to Hull FC's side for the first time this season against St Helens at Knowsley Road tonight (7:30pm).

Yeaman has been out with a hyper extended elbow, an injury he received in Hull's pre-season friendly against Ellery Hanley's National League Two side Doncaster.

His return to partner his Great Britain team mater Gareth Raynor is a major boost for a Hull side which still has six international missing through injury, the latest prop Ewan Dowes who has been ruled out until the end of the month with a medial knee ligament injury.

Yeaman is hoping history repeats itself because two years ago he came back from a lengthy injury and had his best season, scoring 23 tries.

He injured his ankle in Keiron Cunningham's Testimonial, and said: "I hope that doesn't happen again but after that injury I had a great season. Hopefully, after this injury it will be the same and I'll have a season to remember.

"Missing the start to the season was bitterly disappointing because I had training well in the off season and was really fired up for the start of the campaign.

"After missing the first four rounds I can't wait to get back and playing against St Helens is an ideal starting point.

"I know they have injuries but they are still a top side and we will have to play very well to give ourselves a chance.

"But after three defeats in four we want to start running into some form and a win at Saints would be a massive confidence booster to everyone at the club.

"I think we can if we do the basics right and also take our chances.

"Like Saints we have a few injuries but we still have some good players in the side and it's up to the senior players to lead the way."

TEENAGER MIKE BURNETT GETS LATE CALL
Second row Matt Dale pulled his hamstring in the dying seconds of training today, and was pulled out the game. That opened the door for Burnett.

The 19-year-old Burnett was one of the stars in the under 21s Grand Final victory last season and has played for Yorkshire and England Academy.

He is another product of Hull's highly successful youth policy and coach Peter Sharp said: "Mike has got a lot of potential and I am sure he will do a good job for us.

"He's a confident kid and I think he will take this promotion in his stride. He showed up well in our pre-season games and he will look to make the most of this opportunity."

Dale joins an injury list which is more like a Who's Who and includes Shaun Berrigan, Richard Horne, Garreth Carvell, Ewan Dowes, Willie Man and Richard Whiting.

"It's just our look but more importantly a real blow for Matt who had just got in the squad," said Sharp. "You have to feel for the lad, especially when you watched him limp off the training field."

COACH PETER SHARP
Peter Sharp's message to his side is: "Go and enjoy it, enjoy the experience, enjoy the ground and let us get amongst them.

"We are very confident we can give a very good account of ourselves and if we get amongst them then who knows what will happen.

"I think that one area we need to particularly improve in is that we must be more effective with the ball.

"We have to make better us of it than we have so far this season but at the same time we have to be tight in defence.

"I know they have players out but they also have plenty of fire power left in their side, such as the two hookers, Cunningham and Roby and also Leon Pryce. They are as threat to anyone and we can't give them the freedom of the park."

SQUAD
Hull FC (from): Todd Byrne, Tom Briscoe, Mike Burnett, Peter Cusack, Adam Dykes, Danny Houghton, Graeme Horne, Craig Hall, Paul King, Tommy Lee, Gareth Raynor, Lee Radford, Matt Sing, Motu Tony, Danny Tickle, Danny Washbrook, Scott Wheeldon, Kirk Yeaman

KNOWSLEY STATS
Hull FC go to Knowsley Road looking for only their second win in a dozen Super League games since they were promoted in 1997.

They finally broke their duck in 2006 with a sensational 27-26 victory.

SUPER LEAGUE RECORD
Home: Played 11, won 6, drawn 0, lost 5, for 244, against 232
Away: Played 11, won 1, drawn 0, lost 10, for 197, against 336
Total: Played 22, won 7, drawn 0, lost 15, for 441, against 568

News sent by: www.hullfc.com

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