Martin keeps Hull FC in play-off hunt with win over Leigh

Betfred Super League

Hull FC (12) 18

Tries: Cust, Barron, Martin Goals: Hardaker 3

Leigh (0) 12

Tries: Lam, O'Brien Goals: O'Brien 2

Lewis Martin kept Hull FC's play-off hopes alive with a match-winning intercept as the hosts edged a tough physical battle 18-12 against Leigh Leopards at the MKM Stadium.

Bloodied, bruised and bandaged after a clash of heads minutes earlier in the game, Super League's leading try scorer returned to the pitch to make the game's pivotal intervention with a 21st of his campaign.

His kicked intercept, pick up and 50 metre sprint under the posts on the hour mark proved enough to win a hard-fought game and kept them sixth, with a three-point cushion between themselves and Wakefield Trinity.

The 21-year-old winger's eighth score in the last three games proved to be the match-winner after tries from Cade Cust and Harvey Barron in the first half were cancelled out by replies for Leigh from Adrian Lam and Gaz O'Brien which left the clash level going into the last 20 minutes.

Leigh's defeat put a dent in their hopes of chasing down a top two spot.

Leeds Rhinos' earlier win at Castleford Tigers had seen the Leopards drop to fourth, three points off Wigan Warriors with five games remaining in the regular season.

More follows

Hull FC: Pryce, Barron, Briscoe, Litten, Martin, Hardaker, Cust, Ese'ese, Bourouh, Watts, Cartwright, Lane, Asiata

Interchanges: Aydin, Ashworth, Kemp, Eseh

Leigh: Hodgson, Brand, Niu, Hanley, Charley, O'Brien, Lam, Ofahengaue, Ipape, Mulhern, Halton, Trout, Liu

Interchanges: Hughes, O'Neill, Davis, McNamara

Referee: Chris Kendall.