Plucky Robins slay Dragons

Stanley Gene scored a late try to give Hull KR a thrilling 24-20 win over Catalans Dragons at Stade Gilbert Brutus.

Justin Morgan's side had to overturn a 14-6 half-time deficit to record their second successive Super League win following last Sunday's shock home success over St Helens.

Making their first appearance on French soil without the retired Stacey Jones, Les Catalans had forged ahead by the break thanks to tries from Aaron Gorrell and John Wilson.

Even when Rovers winger Peter Fox crossed twice after the break the Dragons still came roaring back, Clint Greenshields going over to make it 20-18.

Lucky break

However, a topsy-turvy match went the way of the visitors when Gene made the most of a lucky break to score the game-winner in the closing minutes.

The 33-year-old showed he is still young at heart to pounce on a loose ball at the try-line after his grubber kick had ricocheted backwards off two Dragons defenders.

Defeat was tough on the Dragons, particularly after they had started so brightly with hooker Gorrell diving over from dummy half.

After a Thomas Bosc penalty the hosts should have had a second try but Jerome Guisset and Adam Mogg make a mess of things with the line at their mercy.

Rovers made the pair pay for their profligacy, Ben Galea showing neat footwork for a forward to dance his way to the line, Jake Webster levelling the scores with his first successful kick of the night.

The deadlock did not last for long, though, Justin Wilson getting on the end of Bosc's grubber kick and just managing to squeeze his way over before going out into touch in the left corner.

Doubled up

Bosc's conversion and a penalty before the break pushed Les Catalans further ahead, but their advantage was lost within nine minutes of the re-start thanks to Fox's quick-fire double.

He soared above Dimitri Pelo to get hold of James Webster's up-and-under for his first and then accepted Ben Cockayne's pass on halfway to sprint clear of the chasing Dragons just six minutes later, Jake Webster converting both.

But, with a Shaun Briscoe try ruled out, Les Catalans managed to get themselves back in front when the influential Bosc offloaded for Greenshields to canter in under the posts from no more than two yards out.

That looked like being the crucial score until the ageless Gene showed that father time had not dimmed his reactions to grab an opportunistic score to deny the Dragons right at the death.