Wood hauls Warrington to remarkable victory

Warrington 36 - Hull 34

A try four minutes from time, created by Nathan Wood and scored by Graham Appo, snuffed out Hull's remarkable fightback and took Warrington into Super League's top six after an extraordinary match.

A try four minutes from time, created by Nathan Wood and scored by Graham Appo, snuffed out Hull's remarkable fightback and took Warrington into Super League's top six after an extraordinary match.

The Wolves seemed to be strolling to victory when Henry Faa'fili's third try took them into a 30-12 lead early in the second half. But then Hull hit them with four tries in 11 minutes to turn the game on its head. Richard Whiting started it, Paul Cooke exchanged passes with Nathan Blacklock for another and the visitors were level when Stephen Kearney was allowed to weave his way over.

When Paul King took Cooke's pass and plunged over it seemed Hull would win. But with 14 minutes left there was little chance of this hyperactive game standing still. Hull were on the attack when Danny Brough wasted a good position with a poor kick and Warrington seized on it.

Wood, a major influence throughout at scrum-half, chipped over the defence, hacked on and saw Appo drop on the ball for his second try of the match.

That tied the scores and Chris Bridge, kicking in place of the injured Lee Briers, gave Warrington the slender advantage they held through the final minutes, although there was one heart-stopping moment when Hull's Richard Horne lost the ball in reaching for the line.

The Wolves' coach, Paul Cullen, was glowing. "No-one else in Super League would have pushed that play the way Nathan Wood did," he said. "He's the toughest competitor I've ever come across and he wasn't going to come off the field with an ounce of energy left."

Warrington have won four games in a row to go into the top half of the table for the first time this season, whereas Hull's recent results make them look suspiciously like a team on the slide.

"It was an absolutely sensational game and it's a shame there had to be a winner, because a draw would have been fair for everyone," said their coach, John Kear.

Hull had started well enough, with Shaun Briscoe scoring after two minutes from Tom Saxton's break, but the rest of the half belonged to Warrington.

Faa'fili scored twice in five minutes, Brent Grose went over from 80 metres and Ben Westwood scored to make it an 18-6 lead.

Michael Eagar's try against his old club kept Hull in the game. "But we gave Warrington one score too many," said Kear.

Warrington: Grose; Faa'fili, Martin Gleeson, Kohe-Love, Appo; Briers, N Wood; Leikvoll, Clarke, Hilton, Swann, Wainwright, Westwood. Substitutes used: Bridge, Mark Gleeson, P Wood, Lima.

Hull: Briscoe; Blacklock, Yeaman, Eagar, Saxton; Whiting, R Horne; Dowes, Brough, Thackray, McMenemy, Kearney, Cooke. Substitutes used: G Horne, Tony, King, McNicholas.

Referee: A Klein (London).