Hull FC 22 Hull KR 16: Ganson is again centre of controversy in Hull derby

Having seen the big screen replays, up to 30,000 fans in the Etihad Stadium knew the young Airlie Birds prop had been at least three yards offside when he chased down Danny Houghton’s speculative high kick from deep.

However, bizarrely, it seemed video referee Steve Ganson was the only person who did not see the blatant offence on Saturday and, so, he awarded the try that completed a remarkable turnaround for Peter Gentle’s hugely fortunate Hull side.

They had been trailing 16-6 with just seven minutes remaining and, given the slack, irrational nature of their previous offerings, seemingly had as much chance of cutting that deficit as referee Ben Thaler did of making the Spider Cam gadget attached to his head look debonair.

Yet quickfire tries from Tom Lineham and Kirk Yeaman – another which many video referees would have disallowed after the England centre grounded short and then seemed to lose control – suddenly got Hull back in touching distance of their fierce rivals.

Twelve months earlier, it had been Hull KR who staged a stunning recovery to retrieve a 14-point deficit and win in the final moments, courtesy in part themselves that time to another questionable decision from Ganson, who was then the match official.

But here it was Hull who benefited as they secured an eighth victory in nine games despite Gentle admitting 70 minutes had been as bad as anything they had produced during that prolific two-month run.

It was the unlikely figure of Green who emerged the hero, the 23-year-old academy product having also stormed through to set up position for Lineham’s score to start the revival in the 73rd minute.

As recalled Rovers full-back Greg Eden fatally let Houghton’s rushed high kick bounce between the posts, he then followed up to grab his first try of the season and only third in Hull colours.

With Hull having failed to have won any of their previous four Magic encounters against Rovers and also having been embarrassed at home on Good Friday, such a definitive moment in the 219th derby will enshrine him in Black and Whites folklore.

“As a local lad it means the world,” said Green, whose impressive form has recently edged former captain Andy Lynch out of the starting line-up.

“A few of the boys, like Richard Horne and Kirk Yeaman, came up afterwards and told me that’s what local pride is all about.

“I’m delighted. It’s up there with my debut as my finest career moment – beating Rovers in the last couple of minutes, scoring the winner in front of the Hull fans… it’s just outstanding, absolutely overwhelming and unbelievable.

“I don’t know if I was onside or offside and I don’t really care. I just went for it.

“I just saw the ball go up and anything can happen with a rugby ball. You’ve got to be in the right place at the right time and luckily I was. It’s good revenge isn’t it? I didn’t play last year but having lost in the last minute then, it’s really good to win this right at the back end.”

True. But two wrongs do not make a right and Rovers chief Craig Sandercock was understandably seething about Ganson’s alarming blunder.

His side had overcome a shaky start when Richard Whiting breezed through some tepid defence in the fourth minute to dominate Hull for much of this contest.

They shook off the early loss through a knee injury of winger Luke George and gradually began to assert control via Michael Dobson.

Craig Hall produced a vital interception to turn defence into attack and allow Eden to pounce on 13 minutes before Hall conjured up a fine take of Dobson’s crossfield kick to put them ahead.

Hull continually imploded either with foolish offloads, forced passes or simple fumbles to invite their opponents in further and then they messed up a series of chances after the break.

When Alex Brown finished off good work from Travis Burns and Eden just after the hour-mark, Dobson having earlier added a penalty to his conversion after a harsh decision against Mark O’Meley, there seemed only one winner.

But Green’s powerful surge off Liam Watts’s smart pass saw Hull make a rare break and, though Shannon McDonnell brought him down, Lineham was quickly in for his 12th Super League try of the year, Daniel Holdsworth adding his second conversion.

That turned the momentum and, despite having lost play-maker Richard Horne to a leg injury, Hull suddenly found some confidence and vigour.

Next, Yeaman got his highly debatable score, though Holdsworth could not add the extras so it was left level at 16-16 with just four minutes remaining.

Then came that dramatic video call moment.

“We replayed it on our computer upstairs and I gave instructions to work for a field goal because the bloke was five metres offside,” said Sandercock, who also saw the excellent Rhys Lovegrove helped off with a knee injury. “It’s a tragedy. I’d be very disappointed if the video referee didn’t come out publicly and apologise to the players and our supporters.”

The Australian got his wish after the RFL made a statement hours later saying Ganson – no stranger to controversy - had admitted his error and been in touch with Hull KR to offer his apologies.

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Hull FC: McDonnell; Lineham, Crooks, Yeaman, Briscoe; Holdsworth, R Horne; O’Meley, Houghton, Green, Ellis, Whiting, Pitts. Substitutes: Lynch, Heremaia, Johnson, Watts.

Hull KR: Eden; Brown, Salter, Hall, George; Burns, Dobson; Paea, J Hodgson, Walker, G Horne, Lovegrove, Mika. Substitutes: Tumiavave, Withers, Netherton, Cox.

Referee: B Thaler (Wakefield).