Hull KR inflict more derby misery on Hull FC

Joe Burgess' second-half try was his 14th of the season

>Tries: Batchelor, Litten, Arthur Goals: Hardaker 4

>Tries: Amone, Mourgue, Broadbent, Burgess, Dezaria Goals: Mourgue 7

>Out-of-form Super League champions Hull KR put a stop to their losing run as they battled back to beat city rivals Hull FC in a feisty derby.

>The struggling home side, who have now won just one of their past 11 games, raced into a 12-0 lead in the opening 10 minutes thanks to tries from Joe Batchelor and Davy Litten, but scores from Tom Amone and Arthur Mourgue levelled the game at the break.

>Jack Broadbent's try put the Robins in front for the first time on the night and Joe Burgess raced in for a 95-metre intercept try to give the away side breathing room.

>Jake Arthur gave the hosts a glimmer of hope from Zak Hardaker's wonderful grubber kick, but Jordan Dezaria powered over to cap the win as the Robins moved back into the play-off positions in fifth.

>In what was Willie Peters' final derby game as KR coach, his side extended their winning run to nine in a row against their rivals.

>Despite the bright start, Thursday's result was a sixth straight loss for second-bottom Hull FC, whose miserable season continues.

>This was the second derby between the sides this month after they met at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium three weeks ago in a Magic Weekend game in which the Robins had to dig deep to win 26-12.

>Off the back of defeats by Wakefield Trinity and Warrington Wolves since that success, the Robins got off to the worst possible start when they lost their captain's challenge inside 90 seconds and then fell two scores behind after Batchelor went in from Aidan Sezer's line-breaking run and Davy Litten did well to ground the ball under pressure.

>The visitors, who claimed the World Club Challenge against Brisbane Broncos in their last game at the MKM Stadium in February, could have gone under.

>However, they regained their composure and Amone barreled over after good work from Jez Litten before Mourgue, in for the suspended Mikey Lewis, scored as the teams went in 12-12 at the break.

>After a Hardaker penalty put the home side back in the lead after a high tackle on Lennon Clark, Broadbent climbed highest to grab a Jez Litten kick and battled over to put Peters' men on top for the first time.

>Burgess, back in the 13 after being left out of the squad entirely last week, intercepted a Jake Arthur pass five metres from his own line and held off a tackle from Logan Moy to run in and put KR in charge.

>A helter-skelter passage of play ended with Hardaker showing brilliant football skills to tee up Arthur to reduce the arrears after a superb offload by Harvey Barron, but a comeback was not on the cards and Frenchman Dezaria powered over from close range for his first try for the Robins.

>Hull FC, whose owners put out a statement earlier in the week accepting responsibility for their wretched campaign, head to bottom of the league Huddersfield Giants next Thursday, while KR welcome Bradford Bulls next Friday.

>Hull FC interim coach Andy Last told BBC Radio Humberside:

>"Really disappointed, it would have been great to get two points. Unbelievable crowd came in on the back of a season where we have really struggled. The loyalty of the supporters is second to none.

>"We got off to a great start. We felt the start was important for us to get that engagement with the supporters and we thought Rovers were a bit fragile after their last two performances, so it couldn't have gone any better.

>"The tries we conceded were real soft ones and that was down to fatigue.

>"Second half, Rovers just did what they do which is suffocate you of field position. I ended up with a bit of a neck ache because I was looking to my left all the time. That pressure they put you under forced us into some uncharacteristic errors."

>Hull KR head coach Willie Peters told BBC Humberside:

>"I'm really proud. The first 10 minutes was a nervous start, 12 [points] down, it could have got ugly but we fought.

>"I thought Tom Amone and Kyle Lawton were outstanding. They made a big difference when they came on. I say it every week but what Dean Hadley brings to our team is incredible.

>[On Elliot Minchella and Jez Litten] "When times get a little bit tough you want your leaders to stand up and that is what I thought both of those guys did tonight and put in great performances.

>"I said before the game that I thought this was the perfect game for us to show we've still got that fight. Being 12-0 down at your rivals to be able to kick on at the back end was what we needed."

>Hull FC: Moy; Barron, Hardaker, Litten, Briscoe; Arthur, Sezer; Salabio, Cust, Hill, Batchelor, O'Neill, Bell.

>Hull KR: Broadbent; Davies, Hiku, Gildart, Burgess; Mourgue, May; Sue, Litten, Hadley, Whitbread, Batchelor, Minchella.

>Interchanges: Amone, Luckley, Lawton, Dezaria.