Black and Whites beaten at the KCOM
Catalans Dragons put in a brilliant defensive performance as they edged Hull FC 16-14 at the KCOM Stadium.
The French club continued their unbeaten start to the season after a victory over Warrington in round one.
The first points of the game came after 12 minutes when Marc Sneyd put a penalty over the posts, after Sam Moa was punished for interference on Danny Houghton.
Luke Walsh then levelled the score for the Dragons just four minutes later with a 35-metre penalty, after Scott Taylor was punished for holding down Remi Casty.
It was a penalty-ridden start to the game, which included injuries caused to Gareth Ellis for Hull and Moa for the Dragons.
It came to a head when Greg Bird, seconds after being warned about his team’s discipline, held onto Josh Griffin and was put into the sin-bin.
The 12-man Dragons then moved ahead after Carlos Tuimavave was punished for holding down Benjamin Garcia. Walsh made no mistake with the 30-metre penalty.
Catalans were then denied the first try of the game as Kristian Inu powered to the line but referee Robert Hicks controversially ruled he was held up, despite replays showing he had got the ball down.
And the Dragons were been reeling as four minutes before the break; the Black and Whites earned the first try of the game through Tuimamave after a brilliant pass behind from Sika Manu put him through a gap.
Sneyd put his conversion in off the post for a four-point lead for Hull FC at the break.
Straight from the kick-off for the second half, Catalan moved in front once again through Richie Myler.
The ex-Warrington halfback was fed by Thomas Bosc after a brilliant break from Bird. Walsh made no mistake with his conversion to put the Dragons two points ahead.
The former St Helens halfback then extended Catalans’ lead to four points after Mahe Fonua was punished for an incorrect play the ball.
The four=point lead did not last long, however, as on the hour mark Liam Watts stripped the ball from Inu and was able to crash over.
The try was confirmed by video referee Phil Bentham, after fears there was two in the tackle, and Sneyd nailed his conversion to swing the pendulum FC’s way again.
Just four minutes later, Walsh levelled matters again after knocking over a penalty in front of the sticks after Scott Taylor was punished for a shoulder charge on Jason Baitieri. It soon got worse for the Airlie Birds as Watts was sent to the sin-bin for a dangerous tackle on Baitieri and Walsh took the two points again to edge the Dragons in front again.
The Dragons survived a tense final ten minutes to successfully back up last week’s win at home to Warrington. They host Widnes Vikings next Saturday.
As for Hull FC, they couldn’t back up their win at Wakefield in round one and will be bitterly disappointed in front of their home crowd. But now they have a week to prepare for their trip to Huddersfield to play the Giants.
