Rovers edge derby thriller

A late try from Jake Webster was enough to earn Hull KR a dramatic 22-17 victory over neighbours Hull FC at the Millennium Stadium on Sunday.

Webster popped up three minutes from time to settle a pulsating contest and earn his side a third straight derby triumph over their arch rivals.

A ding-dong encounter swayed first one way then the next throughout the 80 minutes, with Gareth Raynor (2) and Danny Washbrook touching down for Hull and Peter Fox, Daniel Fitzhenry, Chev Walker and, decisively, Webster responding for Justin Morgan's men.

Hull FC made a sensational start with a try from Great Britain wing Raynor inside the first 60 seconds of the match.

Danny Tickle made the initial break and when the ball was floated out to Raynor he showed good strength to hold off Fox and touch down in the corner.

Tickle could not add the extras and with the Black and Whites on top he was also unable to add a relatively simple penalty on 18 minutes that their dominance deserved.

Rather inevitably they were to come to rue it as Hull KR came to life around the twenty-minute mark after a lethargic start.

They were on the scoreboard on 25 minutes when Fox was able to coast over in the corner after Craig Hall had come and failed to claim an interception allowing Chev Walker to exploit a two-on-one out wide.

Paul Cooke silenced the predictable jeers of his former fans as he slotted an excellent conversion from out wide to edge his side ahead at 6-4.

Momentum

Buoyed by the try, the Robins stole the momentum and extended their lead ten minutes before the break when Stanley Gene rolled back the years with an exquisite flicked pass over the head of Matt Sing which allowed Fitzhenry to touch down for his eighth try of the season.

But the sides were to go in level at the interval as Cooke missed the conversion and Raynor grabbed his second of the match shortly afterwards as he took advantage of a spill in the in-goal area from Fox to ground the ball.

With the video ref eventually green-lighting the try, Tickle slotted the conversion from a difficult angle to make it 10-10.

Hull got their noses back in front a little more than three minutes after the break as Washbrook showed a turn of pace and quick feet to weave past three would-be tacklers and touch down close to the posts.

However, it was not long before the nip-and-tuck contest was back in the balance as Walker bulldozed his way over from ten metres allowing Cooke to restore parity with the conversion at 16-16.

Hull FC were forced to defend resolutely to stay on terms as Rovers turned the screw, but they looked to have stolen victory when Adam Dykes kept his cool to land a drop-goal with just eight minutes on the clock after Cooke had put his one-point attempt wide from close range.

There was, though, still a twist to come and the Robins secured more derby bragging rights when, having gained good field position, they prised open a gap out wide for Webster to scoot over and seal victory.