Hull KR (12) 24
Tries: Dobson, Cooke (2), Webster Goals: Dobson (4)

Hull (6) 18
Tries: Tansey, Hall, Calderwood Goals: Tickle (3)

Hull KR held on to claim a thrilling win over Hull in a breathless derby at New Craven Park.

Early tries by Michael Dobson and Paul Cooke gave Rovers a dream start, before Jordan Tansey got Hull on the scoreboard just before the break.

He then set up a Craig Hall try, only for Cooke to score his second.

Mark Calderwood scored for Hull before a debatable forward pass denied Gareth Raynor, seconds before Rovers' Jake Webster went over at the other end.

Dobson and Cooke combined to give Rovers a perfect start to the local showdown, with two tries in the opening five minutes.

Cooke bore down on the Hull line chasing Dobson's towering kick, and produced a superb one-handed scooped pass to allow the Hull KR half-back to fly over between the posts.

The cheers for the opening try had barely died down when Cooke doubled the lead after Tansey made a disastrous mess of the Hull KR stand-off's high ball, allowing him to slip through under the posts.

An injury to Shaun Briscoe stopped play and allowed Hull back into the match with Tansey redeeming himself for his early blunder when he got on the end of Richard Horne's kick through to touch down for his first Hull try.

Tansey then turned provider as his kick sat up perfectly for Hall to touch down.

In an increasingly frantic match, Dobson and Cooke combined once again to restore Rovers' advantage.

Dobson's 40-20 kick set up a play-the-ball just inches from the corner flag, with Cooke powering over to touch down.

Calderwood kept Hull in touch when he finished off a cross-field move, set up by Raynor running past five players unchallenged.

And a minute later Raynor looked sure to score one of his own, only to be hauled up for a very debatable forward pass.

Rovers took full advantage of this let-off as Ben Fisher, who had earlier seemed to be injured, produced an electric burst of pace to set up Webster for Rovers' fourth try.

After nearly 80 minutes played at a relentless pace, the double blow of being denied a try shortly before conceding one finally broke Hull's resistance and Rovers held on for a memorable victory.

Hull KR coach Justin Morgan:
"I thought he (Paul Cooke) was outstanding.

"I thought he really stuck his hand up today and had a real dig. I read some comments during the week about him being a big game player and I think that spurred him on.

"I thought he was great and dare I say most probably his best game of the season for us.

"He was prepared to carry the ball to the line and I'm going to ride him to play like that for the rest of the year."

Hull coach Richard Agar:
"Our effort and commitment was outstanding.

"It's the one that got away really.

"We were more than entitled to put those chances away. Speaking to a few people, they were under the impression he (Raynor) had scored but they ruled it out and it's an opportunity lost and probably an opportunity to win the game.

"But it's the one that got away and I thought we probably shaded it."

Hull KR: Hull K R: Briscoe, Fox, Webster, Welham, Colbon, Cooke, Dobson, Fozzard, Fisher, Vella, Newton, Galea, Murrell. Replacements: Wheeldon, Fitzhenry, Walker, Lovegrove.

Hull: Tansey, Raynor, Whiting, Hall, Calderwood, R. Horne, Berrigan, King, Houghton, Cordoba, Manu, Tickle, Radford. Replacements: Lee, G. Horne, Burnett, Moa.

Referee: R Silverwood (Dewsbury)

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