Hull FC edged London Broncos in the final game of Super League Round Three as the Black and Whites notched their first win of the season.
It was less than vintage from Hull FC, though they did show some lovely pieces of play in attack. The most important came in the dying minutes when Morgan Smith dummied over after Hull had fallen 24-22 behind.
The score gave Hull FC the win. The performance was perhaps not quite what Tony Smith wanted but the result was needed.
After the game, Smith spoke to BBC Radio Humberside Sport and said: “It was a bit of a heart stopper wasn’t it, a bit of a coach killer in some respects. It was a slow old affair and we didn’t control it like we would have liked, that’s for sure, particularly second half.
“First half I thought we were pretty decent. We conceded a drive from a kick in the first half and that was it. We didn’t have any line breaks against us for the game which is positive.
“However, our last plays and handling of last plays, we didn’t get to many last plays and our opponents did. We need to take a leaf out of their book in terms of getting to last plays.
“We lacked patience and control at different stages and a bit of self-control and a little bit of discipline in the second half as well but there was there was positives in amongst it.”
Hull FC boss dismisses suggestion of nerves
Smith went on to dismiss the suggestion of nerves. Asked if there were nerves, he said: “No, no I don’t think so but you’d have to ask them that. I think just trying too hard sometimes, whether that’s nerves or not. I don’t think it’s nerves, I just think it’s wanting to put on the good plays and stuff that you do in practice and sometimes you try to do them at the wrong times in games. It’ll come, it’ll come.
“We’re still getting to know each other as well, some of these boys in different combinations that I’m throwing at them. But there are aspects of our game that we will be pleased about and there are aspects of our game that we need to learn and learn quickly from.
“We made hard work of that. What we needed to do is just be a bit more patient ourselves.”