91Èȱ¬

Hull held off a second-half fightback by London Broncos after going down to 12 men following Sam Moa's sending-off.

Tom Briscoe's opening try was quickly cancelled out for the visitors by Michael Robertson.

But poor defending by the Broncos saw Joe Westerman and Wade McKinnon build a comfortable half-time lead for Hull.

Kirk Yeaman crossed for Hull after the break, but Luke Dorn countered after Moa's dismissal and Chris Melling's try gave the hosts a late scare.

The hosts were cruising to a first Super League win of the season before Moa's red card for his challenge on Broncos hooker Julien Rinaldi opened the door for the visitors to score two late tries and stage a late fightback.

Earlier, Briscoe capitalised on some questionable Broncos defending when Hull worked the short side well, the youngster dabbing down in the corner, although Tickle could not convert.

The Londoners struck back and the video referee had a tight call for Michael Robertson's score - his third of the season - as he finished with little room in the right corner.

Westerman then reached out and twisted for the line to score, but the loose forward dislocated his shoulder in the act of scoring and had to leave the field.

Tickle was on song with the kick to put the Black and White 10-4 ahead on the half hour. And McKinnon was on hand to extend the hosts lead two minutes later when he gathered the kick through, Tickle adding the extras.

Willie Manu then exposed the visitors' poor defence after the break when he shrugged off Robertson's tackle to feed Yeaman on the inside to score.

London were building momentum just before the hour when Moa knocked out Rinaldi with a shoulder charge to the face.

Both players left the field, Rinaldi for medical assistance, while Moa was shown a red card.

The decision, and the crowd's hostile reaction, seemed to inspire the Broncos - and Dorn made the most of the Londoners' man advantage.

Will Sharp made a hash of Craig Gower's grubber and spilled the ball in goal, only for Melling to react first.

But Witt missed the kick that would have put the visitors within a score of Hull. And the Broncos could not find it in them to grind out a first win of the season.

Hull FC coach Peter Gentle told 91Èȱ¬ Radio Humberside:

"I don't think it was a sending-off, but we'll let the judiciary panel decide whether he's charged or not. The games I've seen over the weekend there was plenty of opportunities for players to be sent off. That's the problem being the last game at the weekend. You bear the brunt of what has happened in previous games.

"The sending off gave them a lift, so for us to do what we did in the last 20 minutes after what had gone on, and losing the players as we did, it was a tremendous effort and I can't speak highly enough of how proud of the players I am.

"They really dug in. Coming off what we've just come off, not playing last week and all the travel, then to lose Joe Westerman early on and to lose Sam Moa too. It was real backs to the wall rugby."

Broncos coach Rob Powell:

"The mood in the dressing room is 'Why did we wait so long to get going?' Hull losing a player made it a bit easier, but it was more the mentality of what we were doing which changed.

"It is just a shame it took something like a sending off to spark us into action because, for the first 60 minutes, we didn't challenge Hull as much as we should have done.

"I'll need to see the sending-off again, but I don't think there was an elbow there and it didn't seem a ridiculous challenge. There has been much worse."

Hull FC: McKinnon; Sharp, Martin, Yeaman, T Briscoe; Horne, Seymour; Moa, Houghton, Lynch, Manu, Tickle, Aspinwall.

Replacements: O'Meley, Nicklas, Westerman, Whiting.

Sent off: Moa (61).

London Broncos: Dorn; Robertson, Howell, O'Callaghan, Dixon; Witt, Gower; Kaufusi, Randall, Bryant, Bailey, Rodney, Clubb.

Replacements: Golden, Rinaldi, Melling.

Not used: Cook.

Attendance: 10,096.

Referee: Richard Silverwood (Dewsbury).