Warrington Wolves 30 Hull FC 12: Injury-hit Airlie Birds suffer second-half dip

Warrington Wolves' Chris Hill is tackled by Hull FC's Danny Houghton (left) and Chris Green (right).

The Wolves looked to be suffering a hangover from their 38-10 defeat by Wigan at Magic Weekend when they produced an abject first-half performance against a Hull side denied the services of 10 senior players due to injury and suspension.

But they responded to coach Steve Price’s interval pep talk and ran amok against their visitors, whose first-half heroics gradually took a heavy toll.

The match was played in good spirits, but was marked by an allegation of biting made by Warrington captain Chris Hill against Hull’s French winger Hakim Miloudi, which referee Gareth Hewer put on report.

Hull could hardly have made a better start as makeshift centre Dean Hadley pounced for a seventh-minute try after his former team-mate Tom Lineham failed to deal with rookie scrum-half Liam Harris’s high kick.

Danny Houghton got prop Mickey Paea crashing over from short range and Jake Connor’s second conversion made it 12-0.

The visitors could have been further ahead by the break with centre Cameron Scott and Miloudi both going close and winger Jack Logan dropping the ball as he attempted to cross.

Warrington eventually managed to apply some pressure on the Hull line, with Ben Murdoch-Masila held up and Lineham bundled into touch.

Hull were good value for their interval lead, but cracked five minutes into the second half when Harvey Livett took Kevin Brown’s pass and stretched out to the line for a try he converted.

And the scores were level when Brown ran the ball on the last tackle and squeezed through a chink in the visitors defence for a try goaled by Livett.

Wolves then pulled away with tres from Murdoch-Masila, Josh Charnley and Ryan Atkins, Livett maintaining his 100 per cent record by taking his goal tally to five.

Warrington Wolves: Ratchford, Lineham, M. Brown, Atkins, Charnley, K. Brown, Roberts, Hill, Clark, Murdoch-Masila, Livett, Hughes, Westwood. Substitutes: G. King, Patton, Philbin, Pomeroy.

Hull FC: Shaul, Miloudi, Scott, Hadley, Logan, Connor, Harris, Paea, Houghton, Green, Manu, Minichiello, Westerman. Substitutes: Fash, Lane, Matongo, Washbrook.

Referee: Gareth Hewer (RFL)