Hull FC secure Wembley spot
Hull FC are through to the Challenge Cup final at Wembley after powering home in the second half to see off Wigan 12-16 at the Keepmoat Stadium.
The Black and Whites were behind 8-2 at the break but posted two tries in a four-minute spell to knock the Warriors out of the competition.
Hull FC will now face Warrington or Wakefield in the final next month.
It was a tough opening period in Doncaster with no quarter given by either side.
George Williams dummied and crashed over the line in the 16th minute to register the first points of the match.
Matty Smith nailed the conversion and Wigan had a 6-0 lead.
Marc Sneyd potted a penalty goal in the 25th minute to get Hull FC on the board.
Three minutes later Gareth Ellis got the ball down after he was put through a gap by a lovely pass from Scott Taylor.
After several views the video referee controversially said no try and Wigan stayed 6-2 in front.
The Warriors had their own ounce of bad luck when they were certain to score in the 32nd minute, but Oliver Gildart’s pass to an unmarked Lewis Tierney to score was forward.
A great effort by the Hull FC defence forced Tierney into touch 25 metres from his own tryline with four minutes left in the half.
The Black and Whites forced one drop-out, but dropped the ball in their next set and the opportunity was gone.
Wigan took their 6-2 buffer into half-time.
Early in the second half Smith added two more points to the Warriors lead with a penalty goal.
But Hull FC hit back with can only be described as a crazy try. Pass after pass, offload after offload stretched Wigan’s defence and finally the ball came wide to Michaels on the right wing who scored.
Sneyd converted from the sideline and it was tied at 8-8.
In the 49th minute Jamie Shaul grubbered through and Sam Tomkins knocked it on, with Shaul trying to ground it, but it was ruled no try.
But in the 51t minute Hull FC hit the lead when Dominic Manfredi dropped a bomb and Fetuli Talanoa pounced.
Sneyd’s conversion was good to take it to 8-14.
Play was stopped for some time after because of an injury to Fonua. The centre was stretchered from the field after a bad head knock.
Hull FC went further ahead in the 59th minute with another penalty goal to Sneyd.
Wigan probed for a response and finally Willie Isa got over the line, put over by a George Williams pass.
With nine minutes left the Warriors were now just 12-18 behind, after Smith missed the conversion.
But that was close as they got, as the Black and Whites’ line held firm in the dying stages.
Mark Minichiello had a late try disallowed for a knock on in the lead up.
