HULL KR 48 YORK KNIGHTS 10
JAMES CHESTNEY, Sewell Group Craven Park, Saturday 

A HAT-TRICK of tries from player of the match Tyrone May sent Challenge Cup holders Hull KR into the semi-finals for the fifth time in as many years against an understrength York Knights.

It took the Robins less than 90 seconds to open their account when Mikey Lewis, fed by Rhyse Martin, skipped through the Knights’ defence into open field for Oliver Gildart to send in Tyrone May. Martin’s touchline conversion attempt was caught in the face of the strong wind.

After eight minutes it was 10-0 after a Paul McShane kick went out on the full, and Rovers again made York pay. After just two drives an astute Jez Litten pass saw Sauaso Sue crash under the posts for a converted try.

In their first real attack and on the back of a Lewis kick out on the full, York managed to force a goal-line drop-out when Joe Burgess fumbled a Hingano high kick. The drop-out failed to go ten metres before Xavier Va’a powered his way over for a try that was confirmed by the video-referee. Myles Harrison, on loan from Newcastle Thunder, added the conversion.

The 24th minute gave the Robins their first penalty as substitute Jai Whitbread went close on two occasions. A kick through by May then saw a Rovers penalty before a captain’s challenge for a ball steal on Litten close to the line was successful and Martin kicked the penalty.

Just after the half hour Rovers turned the screw when Lewis was held up short on the last tackle but the Robins forced a goal-line dropout on the first tackle. Jai Whitbread powered his way and Martin converted. However, Lewis was denied four points off a May pass for an obstruction in the build up as the cup-holders edged closer to the semi final with a 24-6 half-time lead.

It took until the 50th minute for the Robins to extend their lead and it came from a superb Lewis try. Against dogged York defence he chipped over the top and when it looked to be going dead he grabbed the ball out of the air to ground the ball inches from the dead-ball line and he converted his own try.

In a second half full of penalties and set restarts Rovers thought they had further extended their lead when Sue went in under the posts. But the try was turned down by the video-referee for a double movement.

York replied a when they, for once, stretched Rovers on their right, and Harrison went over in the corner, but the wind caught his conversion attempt.

It was then the sublime May at his mercurial best when he capitalised when York allowed the ball to go dead from the kick-off. He sold a superb dummy to go in before completing hat-trick doing much the same a couple of minutes later. Lewis and Litten both added the conversions, in the latter case while Lewis was having treatment, for a 42-10 scoreline.

Rovers completed the emphatic win in the final minute when the ball went wide from Whitbread and Gildart for the customary Joe Burgess try in the tightest of angles. Lewis added the touchline conversion as the hooter sounded.

GAMESTAR: Tyrone May gave a masterful display to torment the Knights for the full 80 minutes, as well as scoring a hat-trick.

GAMEBREAKER: The two tries in seven minutes, just before half-time, which opened up a 24-6 lead for the Robins.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: Mikey Lewis’ try when he chased up his own kick and managed to touch it down just inside the dead-ball line.

MATCHFACTS

HULL KR
14 Jack Broadbent
2 Tom Davies
3 Peta Hiku
4 Oliver Gildart
5 Joe Burgess
6 Mikey Lewis
7 Tyrone May
8 Sauaso Sue
9 Jez Litten
10 Tom Amone
17 Rhyse Martin
12 James Batchelor
11 Dean Hadley
Subs (all used)
15 Sam Luckley
16 Jai Whitbread
18 Jack Brown
19 Karl Lawton
18th man (not used)
21 Noah Booth
Also in 21-man squad
20 Jordan Dezaria
22 Bill Leyland
29 Tom Whitehead

Tries: May (2, 64, 67), Sue (8), Broadbent (16), Whitbread (35), Lewis (51), Burgess (80)
Goals: Martin 4/5, Lewis 3/3, Litten 1/1

KNIGHTS
26 Nikau Williams
35 Myles Harrison
34 Joe Law
21 Kieran Buchanan
5 Scott Galeano
6 Ata Hingano
9 Paul McShane
15 Xavier Va’a
14 Denive Balmforth
10 Paul Vaughan
20 Oli Field
12 Jesse Dee
11 Josh Griffin
Subs
8 Jack Martin
16 Justin Sangare
25 Jack Smith (not used)
29 Sam Cook
18th man (not used)
19 Danny Richardson
Also in 19-man squad
4 Sam Wood

Tries: Va’a (13), Harrison (62)
Goals: Harrison 1/2

SCORING SEQUENCE: 4-0, 10-0, 10-6, 16-6, 18-6, 24-6; 30-6, 30-10, 36-10, 42-10, 48-10

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Hull KR: Tyrone May; Knights: Paul McShane

Penalty count: 10-6
Half-time: 24-6
Referee: Marcus Griffiths
Attendance: 8,752