 One of the biggest afternoons of the season saw Hull FC take on the Warrington Wolves at Wembley in the much anticipated 2016 Challenge Cup Final.
It was Super League's top side against the one placed second, the top two sides in the country at the moment. With the bookies finding it a difficult one to call, the stage was set for an absolute classic.
Warrington have won the Challenge Cup on eight occasions, the most recent in 2012, with Hull FC having picked up the famous silverware on three occasions with the most recent being in 2005 when the final was held in Cardiff. Most notably, FC had never won at Wembley.
It was an intriguing opening half hour with both sides prodding and probing but with the defences holding firm. Territory and possession were pretty evenly matched but as the game wore on the hot conditions started to take their toll on the players.
Warrington had gone closest on twenty-six but a panicked offload from Ryan Atkins went into touch rather than the supporting Matty Russell, who had the line open in front of him.
On thirty-three Chris Sandow intercepted a Frank Pritchard pass on his own thirty metre line and went sixty five metres before being dragged down by Jamie Shaul who made a titanic effort to chase back. A fast play the ball went to Matty Russell who found space in a broken Warrington defensive line to dive over by the uprights. Kurt Gidley kicked the conversion from directly in front of the sticks for 6-0.
The difference between the two sides in the first half was very slender with one man, Chris Sandow, edging his side into the lead thanks to some pinpoint, pressure relieving, kicking and a sensational 'out of nothing' interception.
We only had to wait two minutes of the second half for the first scoring opportunity but Gidley screwed a simple looking penalty wide of the uprights and spurned the chance of putting his side eight points clear.
Warrington's second try was out of the top drawer on the fifty-fifth minute. Daryl Clark broke the Hull line to sprint for forty metres before passing wide to Ben Currie to run the last thirty metres and dive to slide over in the corner. Gidley missed the conversion again, this one not reaching the uprights from the touchline. At 10-0, the next score would be crucial.
On fifty-eight Kurt Gidley was helped from the field with a badly gashed eye.
On the hour mark a Marc Sneyd 40-20 swung momentum in Hull's direction. FC used all five tackles before Sneyd put in a fabulous high kick to the corner and Mahe Fonua rose above Sandow to collect the ball and drop of the line. Sneyd kicked the extra two for 6-10.
When Ben Westwood left the field on sixty-three the Wolves were starting to look threadbare on the bench and both sides were visibly showing signs of fatigue.
On sixty-seven a desperate lunge from Stefan Ratchford knocked the ball dead as Hull looked for the equalising try.
On seventy-three Sneyd created the second Hull try with another high kick which was tapped back by Fonua into the hands of a chasing Sneyd who passed to Jamie Shaul to run through the Wolves line and improve the angle diving over behind the sticks. Sneyd added the extras and FC were in the lead for the first time in the game at 12-10.
A nail-biting last six minutes was on the cards for both sets of supporters.
On seventy-eight Currie lost the ball on the FC line, under a crucial tackle from Danny Houghton, when the Wolves second rower looked like he was going to snatch the silverware. Hull managed to run the clock down to finally slay the 'monkey on their backs' and win the Challenge Cup at Wembley.
It had been a classic final which had more than lived up to the billing and pre-match hype. Two brutal sides battled it out as defences dominated, and both sides found that they had few offensive opportunities to get over the whitewash.
The difference in the first half had been the kicking of Sandow, but in the second it was the inspired boot of Lance Todd Trophy Winner Marc Sneyd.
Wolves: Ratchford, Russell (T), King T, Atkins, Evans, Gidley (G), Sandow, Hill, Clark, Sims, Currie (T), Hughes, Westerman. Subs: Dwyer, Westwood, King G, Bailey.
FC: Shaul (T), Michaels, Fonua (T), Yeaman, Talanoa, Tuimavave, Sneyd (2G), Taylor, Houghton, Watts, Manu, Minichiello, Ellis. Subs: Bowden, Pritchard, Washbrook, Green.
Referee: Gareth Hewer.
Half Time: Hull FC 0 Warrington Wolves 6
Full Time: Hull FC 12 Warrington Wolves 10
Attendance: 76,235
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