Troubled Rovers fall away after derby loss to Hull FC

COURAGEOUS Hull FC dug deep to arrest their slump last night and not only pick up a derby victory but put a severe dent in rivals Hull KR’s play-off hopes.

It was far from vintage stuff and, for large periods, lacked the passion and intensity of so many city contests before.

However, with both sides in such dire need of victory, Hull will wake this morning caring not one jot.

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They had won just once in their previous six games, but this victory, with St Helens loanee Jamie Foster contributing 12 points on debut, now sees them rise up to sixth and, crucially, five points clear of ninth-placed Robins.

The vital play came in the 63rd minute. A misfiring Hull KR finally started to find some cohesion as Michael Dobson broke clear for the second time in quick succession.

The first had seen Mickey Paea power over and then a Josh Hodgson try had cut Hull’s lead further to just 20-18.

But, after Dobson sprinted into space again, a brilliant cover tackle from Tom Briscoe and young Hull debutant Tom Lineham jolted Sam Latus and forced the error.

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Soon after, Ryan McGoldrick settled Hull’s nerves with a bullet-like pass to send Richard Whiting over, exposing brittle defence which had long been Rovers’ downfall.

Fittingly, Foster then set up Briscoe for another at the death as Hull FC rid the memory of their last-ditch defeat to Rovers at Magic Weekend.

It is a fourth successive loss for Hull KR who look increasingly reliant on Huddersfield Giants’ 
awful form or a Bradford Bulls points deduction to get into the eight.

Unsurprisingly, given Hull owner Adam Pearson publicly said he will be bringing in a “six and seven” next season, Rangi Chase likely being one, there was no Brett Seymour in the Hull side, the expensive Australian scrum-half dropped by coach Peter Gentle.

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They did not miss him as McGoldrick and Aaron Heremaia offered plenty of direction alongside Richard Horne.

If Foster wanted to use his loan spell at Hull FC to repair his confidence after being dumped in the St Helens reserves for the last four months, he did not get the best of starts.

The winger hoisted the kick-off directly into touch much to the amusement of the merciless home faithful.

To be fair, Foster did redeem himself by pulling off a crucial tackle on David Hodgson as they successfully defended the penalty, a sign of Hull’s greater steel from the off.

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Dobson slotted a fifth-minute penalty and, sensibly, this time Foster made sure his restart went nowhere near the touchline.

Instead, he spiralled one up the middle which full-back Shannon McDonnell spilled – the first of many needless errors from the hosts.

Directly from the scrum, McGoldrick dummied his way through to arc around Dobson and cruise over the line for one of the simplest tries you will see.

It also pointed to the weak nature of Rovers’ defence.

Foster converted and the visitors’ willingness to offload caused the hosts no end of problems, forcing them to work twice as hard on defence.

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Big prop Liam Watts, making a powerful return to the club he left only last month, and captain Andy Lynch were the main protagonists with the likes of Danny Houghton and Heremaia those to benefit from the jagged line.

Jordan Turner scored next, taking his derby try tally for the season to five after a hat-trick in the win at KC Stadium and a further score at Magic Weekend.

Foster landed the touchline conversion and his colleagues continued to make easy yards through Rovers’ worryingly meek middle although Graeme Horne did have an effort ruled out by video referee Ian Smith in response.

Given both clubs’ misery with injuries this term, it was no real surprise each saw players limp off before the half-hour mark, a groggy Turner after being felled by Con Mika’s swinging arm – unnoticed by referee Richard Silverwood – and Rovers full-back Shannon McDonnell shortly afterwards with a leg problem.

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Smith awarded a ‘benefit of doubt’ ruling seven minutes after the restart when Hull full-back Horne made a complete mess of trying to palm Dobson’s grubber dead and only managed to invite James Laithwaite to touch down.

Whether the on-loan Warrington forward did so before Horne’s second attempt remains hugely questionable.

Dobson’s kick cut the deficit to six but his side’s fragility was exposed again when McGoldrick forced a drop out and the excellent Willie Manu strode through to set up Kirk Yeaman.

Foster maintained his 100 per cent record before Paea roared over on 57 minutes following Dobson’s step and break.

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Rovers finally started running with some purpose, with Hull’s pack clearly wilting, but there was no reprieve for their earlier indiscretions.

Hull Kingston Rovers: McDonnell; Latus, Webster, G Horne, D Hodgson; Green, Dobson; Paea, Withers, Taylor, Mika, Galea, J Hodgson. Substitutes: Clinton, O’Hara, Murrell, Laithwaite.

Hull FC: McGoldrick; Foster, Turner, Yeaman, Briscoe; Horne, Heremaia; Watts, Houghton, Lynch, Manu, Westerman, Whiting. Substututes: Green, Pitts, Aspinwall, Lineham.

Referee: R Silverwood (Mirfield).