Hull FC defeat rivals Hull KR to book place in Super 8s
Last Updated: 18/07/15 12:15am
Hull FC overcame the loss of Leon Pryce and Gareth Ellis to injury before half-time to claim a 22-12 win over city rivals Hull KR and a place in the Super 8s.
Pryce went off 10 minutes into the 500th career appearance with a shoulder injury while Ellis suffered a suspected snapped Achilles tendon eight minutes before the break, which could end his season.
However, the Airlie Birds fought back from 12-4 down with the aid of two tries from leading scorer Tom Lineham to ease to a comfortable victory.
While Hull FC can now look forward to continuing their Super League campaign in the Super 8s, the Robins - barring a miracle - will have to battle it out with Widnes, Salford and Wakefield to retain their top-flight status in the Qualifiers.
Lee Radford’s side created the first opportunity at the KC Lightstream Stadium when centre Fetuli Talanoa collected Jordan Rankin's kick, only to drop the ball over the line.
The visitors conceded the first points moments later as Rovers hooker Shaun Lunt burrowed his way over from dummy half.
By then Pryce had succumbed to his shoulder injury but Hull FC struck back when Steve Michaels gathered Marc Sneyd's clever kick to the corner and touched down for the first of his two tries.
Crucial
Kicking was always likely to prove crucial and, when Hull failed to clear the danger caused by Albert Kelly's towering punt, centre Kris Welham took a clean catch and got his winger Josh Mantellato over with a flick pass.
Mantellato's second goal made it 12-4 and the Robins went close to extending their lead when Lunt put prop Adam Walker through a gap and took a return pass only to see the move peter out.
However, Hull hit back as Lineham struck twice in the last 10 minutes of the first half.
He collected Rankin's long pass to cross for his first and produced an even better finish on the stroke of half-time after Hull KR winger Ken Sio had lost the ball to take his try tally for the season to 19.
Sneyd converted both tries from wide out to give his side a 16-12 interval lead, as news began to filter through of the serious nature of the injury to Ellis, who innocuously appeared to lose his footing in the turf.
Rovers threatened to get back on top through the battling Kelly but they suffered a body blow on 53 minutes when Sio lost the ball in Michaels' tackle to gift the Hull winger his second try.
Sneyd's third goal opened up a 10-point lead and they never looked like relinquishing it.
Rovers prop Tony Puletua was held up over the line on a rare foray into the visitors’ 20-metre area but the Robins spent most of the second half in defence.
Lineham went close to completing his hat-trick and Sneyd and centre Jack Logan both had tries ruled out by video referee Richard Silverwood before Puletua was pulled back for a forward pass.
