York City Knights 22 Hull KR 64: Dobson puts boot in to kick Knights out of Cup with 24-point haul

Michael Dobson scored 24 points as Hull KR claimed a comfortable victory over York at the Huntington Stadium to move into the fifth round of the Carnegie Challenge Cup.

Dobson scored one of Rovers’ 11 tries and kicked 10 goals in a match where they were never in any real danger, although York – who rested influential playmaker Chris Thorman – wasted a chance to draw level in the 16th minute when they failed to convert a goalline drop-out moments after Mark Barlow had reduced Rovers’ lead to 12-6.

Rovers started strongly with two tries in the first nine minutes. First Peter Fox opened his account for the season against his former club after five minutes and Blake Green got Rovers’ second under the posts after good work by fellow half-back Dobson, who added the extras to both tries.

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York got on the scoresheet through Barlow following a good break by Jonny Presley.

After forcing a goalline drop-out, York winger James Haynes found his path to the line blocked by several defenders and Rovers stepped up their intensity after that let-off and scored five more tries before the interval via Ben Galea, Louis Sheriff, Dobson, Matt Cook and Jordan Cox.

York mounted a mini-revival at the start of the second half with Jack Stearman scoring in the 46th minute and Barlow getting his second following Anthony Thackeray’s 40/20.

The gap was 24 points, but that was as close as it got as Rovers centres Kris Welham and Jake Webster notched tries.

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Cox and Fox then scored a second try each before Lee Waterman’s unconverted try provided some consolation for York.

Dobson added the extras to all the tries except Welham’s second-half effort.

“We did well but we just made it too tough for ourselves,” said Knights coach Woods.

“We kicked out on the full in open play and from a kick-off and we came up with dropped balls in first, second and third tackles.”

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York: Bush, Wilson, Ford, Waterman, Haynes, Thackeray, Hardcastle, Freer, Barlow, Benson, Esders, Garside, Lewis. Substitutes: Stearman, Waller, Presley, Smith.

Hull KR: Sheriff, Fox, Welham, Webster, Cockayne, Green, Dobson, Wheeldon, Hodgson, Clinton, Cook, Galea, Netherton. Substitutes: Lovegrove, Fisher, Watts, Cox.

Referee: G Hewer (Whitehaven).