WATCH: Hull FC romp to record derby win as Robins wilt in sun

WITH every try that was run in, the roar from jubilant Hull FC’s fans simply got louder and louder.

Perhaps even they could not quite believe what was happening in the glorious sunshine and this 234th derby.

Just 18-12 ahead at half-time of a typically frenetic, fiercely contested affair, Hull supporters – who had only seen their side win at home once since last June –must have been preparing themselves for a tense 40 minutes to come.

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However, instead, Lee Radford’s side delivered a stunning display, scoring five tries without reply to inflict their biggest-ever win over Hull KR since the fixture was first played in 1899.

Mickey Paea of Hull FC celebrates a try with teammates.Mickey Paea of Hull FC celebrates a try with teammates.
Mickey Paea of Hull FC celebrates a try with teammates.

The head coach said his side had looked “giddy” in that first half. They certainly did by the end but for the right reasons.

Winger Jack Logan – who has had to fight so hard to earn a place in his hometown team – completed a hat-trick with a stunning solo try but there were so many other stellar players in this Hull outfit.

Radford wanted to make up for a last-minute defeat across the city on the opening night but they more than did that.

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Stand-off Jake Connor continued his masterclass from stand-off and second-row Mark Minichiello – at the age of 37 – terrorised Rovers’ right-edge.

Albert Kelly came off the bench to impress in the unexpected position of full-back, too, as the hosts continually punched holes in their opponents in front of a huge crowd of 20,044. 
Hull were 18-6 ahead before the end of the first quarter and looked capable of blowing Rovers away, their opponents wilting amid not only the heat but a raft of errors and penalties.

Tim Sheens’s side actually thought they had scored the first try of the afternoon but Tommy Lee’s effort was rightly ruled out for double-movement.

Instead, Connor – preferred again to Kelly at No 6 – made his first positive imprint on the occasion, throwing one of his trademark dummies before slicing through from 10m out, beating off Weller Hauraki’s attempted tackle in the eighth minute.

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Marc Sneyd slotted the first of his 10 goals but, initially, Rovers were undeterred.

FC’s Connor Wynne, the 18-year-old making only his third senior appearance, lost the ball in the restart set to gift them attacking chance.

Soon after, the young full-back also fumbled trying to collect behind his own line and, from the resulting drop-out, the visitors struck.

Full-back Craig Hall, so often a potent operator in these contests, came into the line and supplied Jimmy Keinhorst, the centre who proved too strong on his angled run for Logan and Carlos Tuimavave.

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Hall slotted the touchline conversion but then Lee Jewitt – the returning KR prop – failed to prevent Sneyd’s restart bouncing dead.

Radford’s side immediately profited, Logan outjumping Will Oakes to claim Connor’s chipped kick.

Soon after, the winger was in again. Sneyd’s pass went to ground but Wynne rescued the situation and then had the final pass to send Logan over.

Connor, though, had the telling influence once more with a delayed pass in midfield but Sheens had seen enough, switching youngster Oakes to the opposite flank and bringing the more experienced Crooks to the left.

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Sneyd converted but, unusually, missed a penalty and that meant Rovers got in touching distance when Hall scored on his 100th appearance for the club, hitting Joel Tomkins’s wonderful inside ball in the 38th minute.

Hall improved again but things started badly for his side in the second period and hopes of a continued comeback soon faded with Minichiello leading the way.

He scored a wonder try just three minutes in, surging over from 40m, blasting through two defenders and then sensationally dummying Hall with Kelly – on for Wynne at the break – in support.

Sneyd added a penalty after Minichiello’s next surge caused issues and Rovers soon started to crumble.

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The more they tried, the more they struggled, Lunt trying to muscle over on the last tackle for the second time and again being denied while Hall’s hopes of a second were ended after Danny Addy obstructed.

Typically, Minichiello popped up to help increase Hull’s lead in the 63rd minute, his run and short pass sending Joe Westerman over.

Two minutes later, Crooks was sin-binned for a shoulder charge on Sneyd and Scott Taylor was yellow carded, too, for his following reaction. It did not stop Hull’s momentum; Kelly crossed after the ball was ripped form Griffin, Mickey Paea added another before Logan completed his treble with a sensational 50m run down the right flank.

Kelly then broke clear again to put Wynne over on his return to the field.

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Hull FC: Wynne; Logan, Tuimavave, Griffin, Faraimo; Connor, Sneyd; Taylor, Houghton, Paea, Minichiello, Lane, Ellis. Substitutes: Kelly, Westerman, Matonogo, Manu.

Hull KR: Hall; Crooks, Linnett, Keinhorst, Oakes; McGuire, Drinkwater; Mulhern, Lee, Jewitt, Lawler, Tomkins, Hauraki. Substitutes: Garbutt, Lunt, Addy, Harrison.

Referee: B Thaler (Wakefield).

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