HULL KR 30, SWINTON LIONS 10

A GAME which was in the balance as it entered the final quarter finally slipped away from the Lions as Rovers regained top spot in the Northern Ford Premiership.

For the home side it was their 13th win in seventeen starts while the Lions have five wins from sixteen matches, but or the majority of this encounter at Craven Park there wasn't a lot to choose between them.

Hull KR assistant coach Wayne Parker was quick to compliment the Lions after he had stepped up off the subs' bench to get a taste of the action after an injury lay-off, offering the opinion that Swinton had worked very hard and made it difficult for the homesters.

At the interval the Lions trailed by only 8-4 and when they pulled level after the break a shock result was on the cards, but Hull dominated the last 20 minutes and eventually went on to win by a comfortable margin.

Mike Gregory's side were certainly fired up for this one and tempers were running close to the red zone as Hull claimed they were taking one or two high shots, but maybe they were concerned at trailing to Mark Welsby's try from Ian Watson's long pass. Steve Gartland missed the conversion but his field kicking repeatedly pushed Rovers back on the sixth tackle, the home side finally getting back into the frame with Andy Smith intercepting and making a 70-yard dash for the line.

The try was a big boost for Rovers and before the break Whetu Taewa touched down behind the posts but Chris Kitching again failed to convert.

Substitute Chris Charles kicked a penalty shortly after the interval but the Lions hit back ten minutes into the half with a superb try from Sean Casey which Gartland converted to level the scores.

Another Charles penalty nosed the Robins ahead, Swinton still tackled as though their lives depended on it but then three tries in nine minutes had the home fans in carnival mood.

Stanley Gene stormed through the defence from 30 metres in the 61st minute for Ian Hughes to put Tich Chamberlain in for a score and six minutes later Gene was involved again with a telling exchange of passes with Parker. Richard Smith was in support and Papuan Gene sent Chamberlain scampering across the line.

Gene then charged away from a scrum to feed Smith who sprinted in from 20 metres and with Charles adding three conversions the 18-point blitz was too hot to handle.

Fighting resulted in red cards for Swinton's Cliff Eccles and Rovers' David Luckwell as the game ended on a sour note but the home side clearly have the talent to go on and grab the silverware despite tough opposition from the leading pack.

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