St Helens come from behind to beat Hull KR in Super League
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 26/02/16 11:48pm
St Helens produced a dominant second-half performance to end their eight-match winless streak at Hull KR with a 31-22 victory.
Rovers this week sacked head coach Chris Chester but they were unable to register their first win of the Super League season under the stewardship of caretaker boss Willie Poching.
The Robins led 16-10 at the break but Saints scored 21 unanswered points to bounce back from successive heavy defeats.
Shannon McDonnell gave Saints an early lead against his former club but Rovers hit the front thanks to tries from Ben Cockayne and Maurice Blair.
Tommy Makinson made it 10-10 only for the Robins to edge back ahead through James Green's converted try.
Green was sin-binned from the restart after a fight which also resulted in a yellow card for ex-Rovers half-back Travis Burns, whose eye socket and cheekbone were fractured in a tackle from the Robins forward in last year's corresponding fixture.
Matty Dawson crossed for the first try of the second half and Luke Walsh sent a penalty between the uprights to level the match up at 16-16.
Jon Wilkin scored as Saints continued to turn the screw before an Atelea Vea try and three points from the boot of Walsh made sure of the win, although Ryan Shaw had the final word with a converted score.
Saints opened the scoring after only four minutes when Cockayne lost the ball following a big tackle by Alex Walmsley and Adam Swift raced 60 metres down the wing before giving McDonnell a clear run to the line.
Video referee James Child cleared Walmsley of any wrongdoing after Phil Bentham sent the decision upstairs and the off-field official was quickly called upon again to clear a Hull KR try.
The Robins trapped St Helens in their in-goal area from the restart and in the next set Cockayne dabbed a low kick through before pouncing on a fumble by Burns to touch down.
Wilkin was denied a try after Child agreed with on-field referee Bentham that the Saints back-rower had lost control of the ball while trying to ground it and Rovers made the most of their reprieve.
Albert Kelly exchanged passes with Dane Tilse and fed Blair, who outpaced the scrambling Saints defenders to score in the corner.
The match was being played at breakneck speed and there was no sign of it slowing up as Makinson got up above Shaw to catch Walsh's crossfield kick and level the scores.
The Robins edged back ahead within a couple of minutes when Green took in Graeme Horne's pass before powering over from 10 metres out.
Green spent the rest of the half in the sin bin after a set-to with Burns in a dispute which dates back to last March.
Saints began the second half strongly and after smart work by Vea earned them a repeat set, Dawson brushed off two attempted tackles to score in the corner.
Walsh missed his second successive conversion but he made it 16-16 after slotting over a penalty following an infringement by Chris Clarkson.
Saints were well on top and Craven Park fell silent when Wilkin went over next to the posts.
Rovers came back hard at the visitors but St Helens, inspired by replacement James Roby on his return to the side, wrapped up the win as Makinson patted back Walsh's kick and Vea finished.
Walsh knocked over a second penalty and then added a drop goal before Rovers winger Shaw touched down out wide just before the final hooter.
