In a nutshell
Hull Kingston Rovers avenged last year’s controversial Magic Weekend defeat to Hull FC – but they did it the hard way, after Jason Crookes was sent off with over half an hour of the game left.
How it unfolded
First half: The Robins were by far the better side in the opening exchanges of the contest, and they romped into an early lead. Tries from Kevin Larroyer and two from Liam Salter were cancelled out towards the end of the first period by Dean Hadley’s try, and then a great effort from Jamie Shaul to keep it finely poised at 18-12 at the break, with Hull FC trailing behind.
Second half: A Travis Burns penalty nudged the Robins’ lead out to eight, before the big moment arrived; as Jason Crookes was sent off for a high tackle on Liam Salter, leaving Hull FC down to 12 men. And they were punished soon after, as Ade Gardner crossed for his second score in Hull KR colours. However, Hull FC got themselves back in contention when Danny Houghton charged over from close range to make it 26-18.
They weren’t done, either. Feka Paleaaesina charged his way in to send the FC fans wild, and make it 26-24 with just 18 minutes left. With the game firmly in the balance, the tension rose – leading to both sides making some silly errors. However, Gardner settled the nerves with his second of the afternoon to make it 30-24, and Burns’ magnificent touchline conversion made it 32-24. The Robins weren’t done, and captain Josh Hodgson added some extra gloss to the score to round off a great day for the Robins.
