Seven days after igniting their play-off prospects with a masterful win at defending champions Wigan, Hull FC were brought back to earth with a mighty bump as they were booed off in a 30-14 Super League loss to struggling
Huddersfield.

John Cartwright’s side looked out of ideas against a visiting team inspired by brilliant young full-back George Flanagan, who scored a try and kicked five faultless conversions to wrap up only their fourth win in 20 top-flight games this season.

It was tough on Hull winger Lewis Martin, who scored the last two tries to complete his hat-trick and lend a flicker of respectability to the scoreboard, but the day belonged to Luke Robinson’s Giants who are continuing to gain in stature despite arriving at the MKM Stadium on the back of two straight defeats.

Hull had shown every sign of maintaining their momentum in the first eight minutes, as Harvey Barron was held up on the right and Davy Litten just missed with an acrobatic effort in the opposite corner that was ruled out following extensive video replays.

Huddersfield snatched the lead against the run of play in the 15th minute when Tui Lolohea sent former Black and White Adam Swift scuttling over on the left, and Flanagan’s superb conversion from the touchline set the tone for another excellent performance from the 20-year-old rising star.

Errors prevented the hosts making an immediate response but they pulled back four points just before the half-hour mark as a sweeping move from right to left ended in Litten sending Martin soaring over in the corner.

Hull threw away their good work in a desperate five-minute period at the end of the first half, their flat-footed defence allowing Joe Greenwood to react quickest to Matt Frawley’s clever dribble and extend his side’s lead, before Jake Bibby intercepted a loose pass from Aidan Sezer and ran in the Giants’ third from his own half.

Fourteen points down at the interval, Hull started the second half promisingly but Barron was denied again despite an acrobatic attempt in the corner, and as the game descended into a fractious affair the momentum shifted back in the visitors’ favour.

Lolohea served up Flanagan with the chance to dive over for a deserved try of his own just before the hour mark, and – after Martin responded with his second – Lolohea duly crossed for a try of his own close to the posts to effectively
shut down faint hopes of a revival.

Martin’s lavish finish to wrap up his hat-trick late on only served to illustrate the frustration of his side’s display, and their missed opportunity to muscle back in on an increasingly tight play-off race.

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