Hull KR 22-34 Hull FC: Black and Whites take Magic Weekend derby honours
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 21/05/18 9:02am
Hull FC moved back into Super League's top four with a 34-22 victory over Hull KR as the depleted rivals brought down the curtain on Dacia Magic Weekend.
With both sides shorn of a host of key men, Jake Connor delivered a sublime performance at St James' Park to inspire his team to a seventh straight derby win.
Scott Taylor claimed Hull's opener and Jamie Shaul crossed twice before the break, while young scrum-half Liam Harris marked his debut against his former club with a try.
Kieran Moss scored Hull KR's two first-half tries and completed his hat-trick to breathe life into the contest.
But Jack Logan and Connor went over to seal Hull's victory, although it was Tommy Lee who scored the final try of Magic Weekend, which was attended by 64,319 fans across the two days.
Hull's injury crisis forced Kirk Yeaman out of retirement and the 34-year-old centre made an inauspicious start as he lost the ball on his first carry.
Rovers had already lost on-loan St Helens hooker Aaron Smith to a head injury but they went on to dominate the opening stages.
After Connor came up with a try-saving tackle to deny Danny Tickle, the Robins targeted Hull's right edge again and broke the deadlock when quick hands from Junior Vaivai gave Moss an easy finish in the corner.
The opening try came on the back of a penalty conceded by Yeaman but he and his team-mates settled into the game as it approached the 20-minute mark.
Luck was on Hull's side as Taylor levelled the scores, with the England prop racing through to claim Connor's kick that had rebounded off the crossbar and touch down under the posts.
Connor added the extras and was on target again to make it 12-4 after Shaul weaved his way over from dummy-half following a charging run by Mark Minichiello.
There was a sense Rovers needed to score next and they did just that courtesy of more quality centre play by Vaivai.
The United States international received the ball on the short side from a scrum and sucked in two defenders to give Moss a walk-in try.
Rovers were causing Hull problems in attack but soft defence allowed the Black and Whites to take a firm grip on the match before half-time.
First Harris shrugged off would-be tacklers to score before Shaul crossed for his second try from Joe Westerman's silky offload.
Connor slotted over his fourth goal to make it 24-10 at half-time but Hull had another injury concern when Josh Griffin was carried off with a knee issue.
Rovers' comeback hopes suffered a blow as Scruton was sin-binned for a late shoulder charge on Danny Houghton.
Yet they were next to score when Moss took Adam Quinlan's cut-out pass before showing impressive strength to touch down in the corner for his third try.
But Rovers had left themselves with too much to do, with Connor putting Logan over before strolling over himself to cap a fine individual display.
The Robins, who lost Vaivai to injury following Logan's try, had the last word through Lee's powerful effort but they end the weekend bottom of Super League.
