Hull KR 6 Hull FC 16: Tony Smith's side claim sweet win as rivals continue to go in different directions

Rovers were in the middle of a six-game winning run at the time and the Black and Whites could not buy a victory.

That seven-match losing streak is a distant memory for Tony Smith's side after piling more misery on the Robins in front of a home crowd that have been left with a familiar sinking feeling.

Although they remain in the hunt for the Challenge Cup ahead of a semi-final against Wigan Warriors on July 23, a sixth loss in seven Super League games is a hammer blow to their fading play-off hopes.

That it was inflicted by bitter rivals Hull will only increase the pain as Willie Peters sets about picking up the pieces.

Both teams are long odds to make the play-offs on the evidence of a low-quality derby but the Black and Whites look the better bet after making it six wins in nine games to move to within two points of their neighbours.

While they were good value for the victory, they did not have to be at their best against a generous Rovers.

Adam Swift was the derby hero for Hull, scoring two tries either side of Ligi Sao's crucial effort to underline how far Smith's team have come since the 40-0 drubbing on home soil.

It was a particularly sweet win for Smith on his first return to Craven Park since his sacking last year.

Rovers were left to rue Shaun Kenny-Dowall's costly second-half yellow card for a high shot on Jake Clifford but they could have no complaints about the end result.

After indie band The Pigeon Detectives ramped up the volume on a pitch bearing the scars of two concerts held at Craven Park earlier in the week, the teams went at each other at 100mph in the opening exchanges.

For all the passion and intent on show, there was a distinct lack of quality as the rivals traded errors in a frenetic opening 40 minutes.

The one moment of quality came just five minutes in when Mikey Lewis smuggled away an offload on the last tackle to give Jack Walker – the man of the match the last time Hull beat Rovers – another derby moment to remember.

Rowan Milnes knocked over the extras to make it a dream start for the Robins but they were unable to build on it after falling into the trap of overplaying in a fixture that does strange things to players that usually exude calmness.

If they had their time again, perhaps Rovers would have gone for goal from a kickable penalty awarded for an escort on Kenny-Dowall.

As it was, they elected to run the ball and came away from the Hull line empty-handed.

Ethan Ryan failed to take in Milnes' dipping pass as KR continued their search for a second try.

Jimmy Keinhorst – making his first Super League appearance of the year as a replacement for the injured Elliot Minchella – hammered Clifford with a crunching hit as Hull set about issuing a response.

The home crowd enjoyed Keinhorst's tackle as much as Walker's try but they spent the rest of the half watching their team turn over cheap ball to invite the Black and Whites in.

The visitors could not capitalise and found themselves backpeddling at the other end on the back of a burst by Jez Litten.

At the end of the set, Milnes was guilty of a panic kick that rolled dead to sum up a fractured first half.

Rovers suffered a blow when Kane Linnett was forced off with a match-ending head injury following a coming together with team-mate Sam Luckley but they continued to defend for their lives.

Swift was twice forced into touch by Ryan after sensing an opportunity on the left wing and Lewis came up with an important tackle on Tex Hoy just before the half-time hooter as he threatened to race into space.

When Hull's response eventually came five minutes into the second half, it was against the run of play.

Cam Scott put Swift into open field with a nice offload on his own 30 and his winger did the rest after leaving Walker on the floor with a superb step.

Clifford knocked over the simple conversion to level the scores and soon found himself filling in at full-back when Hoy limped out of the action.

Milnes missed the chance to edge Rovers back ahead from a 40-metre penalty following a high shot by Brad Fash on Keinhorst and it got worse for the hosts after losing their captain.

Just as the Robins looked set to survive the 10-minute period with 12 men, they buckled on the back of another sloppy piece of play.

Referee Ben Thaler penalised the home side for a ruck infringement and Hull took full advantage of the field position, Sao crashing over from Brad Dwyer's cut-out pass in front of a jubilant away end.

An ill-advised offload by Chris Satae from the restart invited Rovers straight back in and the hosts had a spring in their step all of a sudden.

Walker took the Robins close with a slaloming run and Matt Parcell reached out to touch down later in the set, only to see the try rightly chalked off for a double movement.

That proved to be KR's last opportunity as the Black and Whites snuffed out any chance of a late fightback.

As Hull set up camp on the Rovers line in the dying minutes, the smart money was on a drop goal but Smith's men went for the kill, spreading the ball out to the left with crisp passing to allow Swift to crown the sweetest of victories.

Hull KR: Walker, Ryan, Opacic, Kenny-Dowall, Hall, Lewis, Milnes, Kennedy, Litten, King, Keinhorst, Linnett, Hadley. Substitutes: Parcell, Storton, Johnson, Luckley.

Hull FC: Hoy, McIntosh, Tuimavave, Scott, Swift, Trueman, Clifford, Sao, Houghton, Taylor, Fash, Lane, Cator. Substitutes: Satae, Brown, Gardiner, Dwyer.

Referee: Ben Thaler.