Hull FC 22-34 Hull KR

Hull KR recovered from a slow start to draw first blood over their city rivals Hull FC in the final game of the Magic Weekend.

Rovers didn’t turn up for the first quarter of an hour and found themselves 14-0 down before finally switching on and proving too strong for the Airlie Birds.

Early tries from Kirk Yeaman and Lee Radford, as well as a penalty from Danny Tickle following a fight, gave Hull a commanding advantage.

But after Blake Green forced his way over to get Rovers on the board, Clint Newton broke a tackle and raced 20 metres for a score.

Scrum half Michael Dobson started to find some room behind his forward pack, and his superb flat pass found Ben Galea who found the line despite the attention of Richard Whiting to give Rovers an 18-14 half time lead.

After the interval, Rovers pinched the all important next try, taking advantage of the field position gifted by an error from Richard Whiting. Again it was Galea who benefited from a lovely pass by Dobson to stretch the advantage to 22-14.

By now, Rovers had hit their straps. Fine work by Liam Colbon forced Will Sharp in to touch, and it wasn’t long before Dobson had a try in Rovers’ fifth try, this time setting up Kris Welham down the left.

Hull never really recovered from the shock of surrendering their early advantage, and their woes were highlighted when Jordan Turner raced away down the left to find Craig Fitzgibbon, only for their captain to lose the ball in a strong tackle with Clint Newton.

Frustratingly for coach Richard Agar, Hull wasted good field position on two occasions, spilling the ball, to all but end their hopes of replicating Leeds’ earlier comeback against Bradford.

But after Reece Lyne had seen a try ruled out by the video referee, Sharp crossed for a debut try to give Hull faint hope at 28-18.

However, it proved to be scant consolation as Welham but the game well beyond doubt with the Rovers final try, and despite FC having the final say through Yeaman, the day, and bragging rights, belonged to Rovers.

Hull: Lyne, Sharp, Yeaman, Whiting, Briscoe, Turner, Long, O’Meley, Houghton, Radford, Manu, Tickle, Fitzgibbon. Subs: Dowes, Moa, Lauaki, Westerman.

Tries: Yeaman 4, 78, Radford 9, Sharp 70.
Goals: Tickle 4, 9, 13

Hull KR: Briscoe, Fox, Webster, Welham, Colbon, Green, Dobson, Vella, Fisher, Clinton, Galea, Newton, Murrell. Subs: Cockayne, Wheeldon, Hodgson, Watts.

Tries: Green 21, Newton 29, Galea 32, 46, Welham 55, 76.
Goals: Dobson 21, 29, 32, 55, 76.