THERE can be no doubt that Wembley is a special place…when you win.

Losing on the hallowed turf can destroy a player’s psyche, and the next challenge for the Wire players is to not allow that to happen.

Seeing Tony Smith’s squad collapsed on the Wembley pitch in tears of desolation while Hull FC celebrated finally ending their national stadium hoodoo was not how Saturday was supposed to end.

And yet it could have been so different.

If Ben Currie would have just managed to hold onto the ball in the dying minutes, albeit after a superb Danny Houghton tackle, the journey back up the M6 would have been a jubilant one for The Wire and their primrose and blue army of fans.

Alas, it was not to be and that was all the more frustrating given Wolves played almost the perfect game for an hour.

They stuck to their game plan in an arm-wrestle of a first half, nullifying the kicking game of Marc Sneyd that Hull rely on so heavily as both sides toiled on a muggy day in North London.

They even capped it off with a try as Chris Sandow picked off a Frank Pritchard pass and raced away before Matty Russell dived over from the resulting play-the-ball.

Then, after the Wolves fans had screamed for him to kick at goal, the usually reliable Kurt Gidley missed a presentable penalty opportunity.

It didn’t look as if that was going to be as crucial as it was when Ben Currie finished off an excellent break from Daryl Clark. Wolves were 10-0 up and their plan was working a treat.

However, one Sneyd 40-20 later and the life just seemed to drain from them.

Once Mahe Fonua had outjumped Russell and Sandow to claim a Sneyd bomb and touch down, the momentum had well and truly swung the Black and Whites’ way in a critical six-minute period in which Wolves also lost Ben Westwood to injury.

Lance Todd Trophy winner Sneyd was at the heart of things again when his kicked was batted back to him by Fonua and he put Jamie Shaul between the posts.

Even then, there was to be one more Wire chance as Currie looked for all the world like snatching the win, but Houghton’s extraordinary defensive effort meant the ball slipped agonisingly from his grasp.

So, after three helpings of ecstasy, The Wire now have their share of Wembley agony.

Rest assured though, this team will be back.

INTERESTING NOTES:

Ben Westwood equals the record for Warrington appearances in Challenge Cup Finals (4).

Hull FC’s first ever win at Wembley.

MATCH FACTS:

Wolves: Stefan Ratchford; Rhys Evans, Toby King, Ryan Atkins, Matty Russell; Kurt Gidley, Chris Sandow; Chris Hill, Daryl Clark, Ashton Sims, Jack Hughes, Ben Currie, Joe Westerman. Subs: George King, Brad Dwyer, Ryan Bailey.

Hull: Jamie Shaul; Steve Michaels, Mahe Fonua, Kirk Yeaman, Fetuli Talanoa; Carlos Tuimavave, Marc Sneyd; Scott Taylor, Danny Houghton, Liam Watts, Sika Manu, Mark Minichello, Gareth Ellis. Subs: Frank Pritchard, Danny Washbrook, Josh Bowden, Chris Green.

Scoring: Russell try, 34mins, Gidley goal, 6-0; Currie try, 54mins, 10-0; Fonua try, 62mins, Sneyd goal, 6-10; Shaul try, 73mins, Sneyd goal, 12-10.

Penalties: Wolves 3 Hull 3

Referee: Gareth Hewer

Attendance: 76,235

Top man: Daryl Clark