Horne thriving at heart of attack as Hull expose Wakefield's weakness

Third-placed Hull opened up a three-point gap over their pursuers, following up their Challenge Cup victory here with a hard-earned success in a highly entertaining encounter.

With four straight wins Hull are in a fine run of form and their range of attacking options, with the captain, Richard Horne, at the hub, was too much for a defence as porous as Wakefield's. The Wildcats are in a trough, a run of five defeats in their last six games leaving them looking anxiously over their shoulders at a relegation scrap in the second half of the season.

Hull began in fluent style, hooker Paul King forcing his way over from acting half before full-back Shaun Briscoe joined the attack to put the visitors 12-0 up.

But the Wildcats showed great fighting spirit to level after the captain, Jason Demetriou, touched down Julian O'Neill's kick before the prop Darrell Griffin twisted over in a three-man tackle to plant the ball down.

The visitors' giant prop Garreth Carvell was inspired by Griffin's heroics, somehow offloading close to the home line for Danny Brough to score his first Hull try. Two minutes later Carvell's storming break from inside his own half set up the supporting Horne for a classy finish and Hull, despite losing Brough to the sin-bin for interference in the tackle, had restored their hard-won 12-point lead.

Wakefield took advantage of their temporary man advantage, starting the second half with a three-try flourish. David March sliced over, Sid Domic finished off Steve Snitch's offload and then Jamie Rooney crossed at the corner to give his side the lead.

Hull recovered their composure just in time and retook the lead just after the hour through Shayne McMenemy. Briscoe added his second try three minutes later before snuffing out Wakefield's hopes with a vital interception.

Wakefield: M Field; Halpenny, Demetriou, Domic, Tadulala; Rooney, Jeffries; Feather, March, Korkidas, Elima, Spicer, O'Neill. Substitutes used: Griffin, J Field, Snitch, Obst.

Hull: Briscoe; Blacklock, Saxton, Yeaman, Raynor; Cooke, R Horne; Dowes, King, Thackray, Kearney, McMenemy, Whiting. Substitutes used: Carvell, Chester, McNicholas, Brough.

Referee: R Laughton (Dodsworth).