Dominant Hull Defeat Saints

Official Challenge Cup Semi Final Report - Saturday 30th July 2005. Full time: Hull FC 34 St Helens 8

Dominant Hull defeat Saints

Hull FC pulled off a stunning upset against holders St Helens to reach their first Powergen Challenge Cup final for 20 years with a 34-8 victory.

Australian second row forward Shayne McMenemy scored a try in each half of a tough, uncompromising semi-final at Huddersfield?s Galpharm Stadium to help Hull secure their first Cup win over Saints for almost 70 years.

The result marks another notable achievement for coach John Kear, who masterminded Sheffield Eagles? famous Cup final victory over Wigan in 1998.

Creative loose forward Paul Cooke was Hull?s man of the match with a try and five goals but the victory was the result of a magnificent forward effort which stunted Saints? attacking flair.

The holders rarely threatened a superb Hull defence and scored their only try through centre Jamie Lyon thanks to a rare blunder by winger Gareth Raynor five minutes into the second half.

That enabled St Helens to tie the scores at 8-8 but Hull pulled away with four further tries in the last half-hour to condemn Saints to a comprehensive defeat, their first since Daniel Anderson was appointed coach almost three months ago.

Hull, who last won the Cup in 1982, will meet the winners of Sunday?s second semi-final between Leeds Rhinos and Toulouse at the Millennium Stadium on August 27.

Hull were dominant from the start, with front rowers Garreth Carvell and Ewan Dowes making useful yardage and Danny Brough, given the nod at scrum-half, pushing Saints back with some telling kicks.

Ironically, St Helens created the first scoring opportunity, through the dancing feet of centre Willie Talau but he put out a poor final pass and full-back Paul Wellens spilled the ball in a promising position.

Hull opened the scoring on six minutes when Saints prop Paul Anderson was pulled up for a ?flop? in the tackle and Cooke, returning to the side from the first suspension of his career, put over the first of three penalty goals.

And it was no surprise when the Yorkshire club went further in front, courtesy of a 10th-minute try from McMenemy, who profited from a superbly delayed pass by the prominent Cooke.

The touchjudges couldn?t agree over Cooke?s touchline conversion attempt and the final decision from referee Ashley Klein went against him.

Saints pulled two points back on 22 minutes when Brough was caught ball-stealing and Paul Sculthorpe opened his side?s account with a penalty, but Hull ought to have made more of a clean break by stand-off Richard Horne.

Cooke and Brough both failed with drop-goal attempts while St Helens had a try disallowed by video referee Dave Campbell when slow-motion replays indicated that winger Ade Gardner brushed the touchline in Richie Barnett?s tackle before touching down.

Little went right for the holders, who had Anderson and Jon Wilkin placed on report for an alleged spear tackle on Hull substitute Jamie Thackray.

The half-time break appeared to halt Hull?s momentum and Saints were level within five minutes of the restart thanks to a defensive blunder.

Raynor badly judged a high kick from Sean Long and Lyon was quick to seize on his fumble, picking up the ball cleanly by his boot straps and diving over for his side?s first try, which Sculthorpe goaled to lock up the scores at 8-8.

But the score merely served to re-galvanise Hull, who regained the lead five minutes later with another Cooke penalty after Saints hooker Keiron Cunningham was ruled to have stolen the ball in a two-man tackle.

And they claimed a stranglehold on the game with two tries in five minutes, stretching their lead to two clear scores for the first time.

The skilful Cooke handled twice to cross wide out for a try on 54 minutes and then, after Hull maintained the pressure by forcing a fourth goal-line drop-out, McMenemy grabbed a second touchdown after Richard Horne had dribbled the ball forward to the line following a Cooke offload from the tackle.

Saints had little answer to their rampaging opponents, who rubbed salt into their gaping wounds with two more tries in the closing stages.

First centre Richard Whiting broke out of his own half to set up the position for substitute Motu Tony to touch down and then Richard Horne grabbed a fifth try deep into injury time, with Brough adding both conversions.

Hull: Briscoe, Barnett, Yeaman, Whiting, Raynor, R. Horne, Brough, Dowes, Swain, Carvell, McMenemy, Kearney, Cooke. Replacements: King, Tony, Thackray, G. Horne.

St Helens: Wellens, Albert, Lyon, Talau, Gardner, Hooper, Long, Fozzard, Cunningham, P. Anderson, V. Anderson, Gilmour, Sculthorpe. Replacements: Wilkin, Graham, Roby, Fa?asavalu.

Hull: (8) 34. Tries: McMenemy 2, Cooke, Tony, R. Horne. Goals: Cooke 5, Brough 2.

St Helens: (2) 8. Tries: Lyon. Goals: Sculthorpe 2.

Referee: Ashley Klein (London)

Att: 16,163

Thanks to www.superleague.co.uk for this review