Airlie Birds edge derby clash

Hull FC beat rivals Hull KR 18-14 in their derby match on Good Friday to secure their first victory at Craven Park since 2007.

The Airlie Birds had suffered defeat on their last three trips across the city and also lost last time out against Salford but came from behind on this occasion to outscore the Robins three tries to two.

All but one of them was scored in the first half, as tries from Ben Cockayne and Kris Welham were cancelled out by Tom Briscoe and Craig Fitzgibbon.

Despite being under pressure for long spells in the second half, it was the visitors who were then able to snatch victory as Jordan Tansey touched down the decider.

The story of the match was as much told by tackles as it was by tries, however - the highly-charged contest being filled with crunching challenges and penalties, but with no player sent to the sin bin.

Cockayne had the honour of leading his side onto the field and it was the full-back who put them ahead with a try in the fourth minute, despite Hull FC having just been awarded a penalty.

They could not take advantage though as the Robins instead pressured Sean Long, whose misdirected pass was collected by Cockayne on the half-volley before he sprinted over by the posts unopposed.

Michael Dobson kicked the extras and he put the home side 8-0 ahead with a penalty moments later after an infringement by Willie Manu.

However, he then had to back track and clean up a Hull attack - the game suddenly opening up as Welham's interception of Shaun Berrigan's pass ended with play upfield before Manu snatched the ball back.

The visitors' second surge ended with them offside but they responded after 16 minutes, with Manu again to the fore as he and Fitzgibbon went route one to set up Briscoe - the young winger still having work to do but beating two challenges to cross.

Danny Tickle converted but it was his misplaced pass to Tansey that allowed Hull KR to re-establish themselves - Welham beating two challenges to cross with Dobson converting.

Frenetic

The frenetic pace continued as Fitzgibbon then crossed for his third of the season - Tickle again converting - just past the midway point after Hull KR knocked on in front of their own posts.

Just two points now separated the sides and while no more were added before half time - the best chance coming to naught when Dobson knocked on in an advanced position - the pace hardly relented, the home side in particular tackling with unstinting commitment.

Both Epalahame Lauaki and Scott Murrell overstepped the mark somewhat in the closing moments of the opening period, however, the former reacting to Clint Newton's provocation while Murrell ended the half with a hefty off-the-ball hit on Long.

He did the same on Tickle as Hull KR continued to offer no respite at the start of the second half - the latter levelling before he and Long invited trouble by conceding three straight penalties.

The home side could not convert territory into points though and their period of pressure ended with Dobson being intercepted by Richard Whiting.

Whiting could not make his break pay but the visitors were ahead on the hour after exploiting a penalty themselves - Tansey making a diagonal run for the left-hand corner, although Tickle could not convert.

Hull KR could have been back ahead in the 66th minute after a fine pass right from Ben Galea set up Peter Fox to cross. However, referee Richard Silverwood disallowed the try after video replays showed Murrell had knocked on in the build up.

They continued to pile on the pressure as the match entered its final 10 minutes but the home side's increasingly desperate attempts to score instead ended in another interception by Whiting.

At precisely the same time, Newton was penalised for hitting Tansey off the ball - for all Hull KR's possession, the match in fact ending with the Airlie Birds searching for a fourth try.