Paul Sykes' landed a 76th-minute drop goal as London gatecrashed Hull's Challenge Cup homecoming party to steal two valuable engage Super League points at the KC Stadium.

Sykes' late effort, which prevented the two sides playing out a second draw of the season, slid over over after hitting the right post just minutes after Paul Cooke's penalty appeared to have earned Hull a point.

After securing a place in the cup final last weekend, Hull were welcomed home by a poor crowd of just over 8,000 - but more tellingly, several of their players also failed to show as London cemented their place in the top six with a three-try win.

The Broncos' success was in no small part down to the performance of their half-back pairing of Luke Dorn and Mark McLinden, who ran the Hull defence ragged all evening with a fine display of kicking and handling ability.

With Richie Barnett (ankle) and Chris Chester (sternum) both missing, Hull coach John Kear tinkered little with the side that defeated St Helens last Saturday - Tom Saxton the only new face in the 17.

London coach Tony Rea was only missing long-term absentee Thomas Leuluai as his side looked to extend their recent good run of just one defeat in nine league outings.

Kear has long championed the cause of his prop Ewan Dowes and it was fitting that the hardworking forward should open the scoring after only three minutes, with his first try of the season.

After Richard Whiting's lack of pace prevented him from going the distance after intercepting a loose pass, captain Richard Swain took charge of the situation and after Nick Bradley-Qalilawa had spilt Swain's kick, Dowes was able to swoop and dive over for the touchdown.

Cooke missed the subsequent conversion but soon extended the lead to six points when he slotted a penalty from in front of the posts.

Danny Brough's creativity with the boot was Hull's main stream of attack as they looked to find some rhythm, and it paid off as soon after Cooke crept over the line after Shaun Briscoe and Motu Tony had broken free of London's scrambling defence.

All too often though, Brough's willingness to kick high was not matched by his team-mates, and London full-back Zeb Luisi's only error under such a ball came on the stroke of half-time and went unpunished.

By this time however, London had drawn level after scores from Tyrone Smith and Sykes.

Smith was the first on the scene in the right corner after Gareth Raynor made a hash of Dorn's high kick to reduce the deficit to six points, which was quickly cut further by Sykes' superb touchline conversion.

Sykes then swooped in the opposite corner to duck under Whiting's challenge and send the sides in 10-10 at the break.

In keeping with the game, the first score of the second half was a scrappy affair, one which Cooke again failed to convert.

Bradley-Qalilawa was once again involved, this time flapping at Cooke's kick - Shayne McMenemy the grateful recipient this time, crossing for his eighth try of the season after consideration from the video referee.

However, Dorn soon rocked Hull onto the back foot, making a mockery of their cover defence, dancing past a static Briscoe for his 21st try of the season.

Briscoe and his team-mates were soon in pursuit of referee Karl Kirkpatrick, appealing for a knock-on, but Sykes was not to be put off and kicked his side into the lead for the first time at 16-14.

Hull's Graeme Horne and London's Jon Wells both had tries disallowed by the referee as both sides became desperate to strike a killer blow, which eventually came from the boot of Sykes, just moments after Solomon Haumono had appeared to be on his way to the line with a driving run.