Rugby: Hull KR 30, York 10

YOU JUST CAN'T STOP HIM: Hull KR's Jon Wray dives over in the corner for his second try at Craven Park despite the attentions of Wasps' substitute John McCracken

After half an hour of tough tackling and enterprising attack on the Craven Park mud-bath, the Wasps once again showed their Jekyll and Hyde character to throw away a victory chance.

They made plenty of handling errors, as did the home side, but they still looked by far the better team in that opening period.

Led by stand-in skipper Lea Tichener, the York pack were winning the forward battle down the middle, where most of the play took place because of the narrow pitch, and the rock solid defence was impenetrable.

Hooker Gareth Dobson had his best game of the season as his darting runs made valuable ground while Lee McTigue, playing his first match since turning professional during the week, worked tremendously in the second row.

In fact the Wasps made second placed Rovers look second rate and fully deserved to be ahead. Unfortunately they only managed a 6-0 lead which should really have been so much more.

The Robins barely managed to get out of their own half as York piled on the pressure but had only a Shaun Austerfield try and Kevin Gray penalty to show for their efforts.

Austerfield's try, which came when he jumped on Gray's short, angled kick into the corner, was a fine piece of play but it was never going to be enough if Rovers came good.

And come good they did, although the Wasps certainly contributed to their own downfall.

It started when former Hull KR player Gray, playing at stand-off in place of the injured Mark Cain, was sin-binned for a professional foul just before the half hour mark.

Mark Hewitt converted the resulting penalty from 20 metres out, then they capitalised to finally cross the try-line during Gray's absence.

They made the extra-man advantage count as Paul Fletcher was played through a huge gap and, with two men on one, his short ball gave full-back Bob Everitt enough space to race clear to the line. Hewitt's simple conversion edged Rovers into a two-point lead which they didn't deserve but it was enough to dent the confidence of the York players.

They were like a different team in the second half as the once solid defence began to miss tackles, gaps appeared and they failed to deal with Rovers' kicking game.

Hull KR half-backs Leroy Joe and Hewitt, who had been stifled early on, suddenly began finding space to dictate play while the forwards found their second wind.

It took them just five minutes of the second period to cross the line again. Quick hands moved the ball along to Jon Wray on the left wing and with Leroy McKenzie and Spencer Hargrave nowhere to be seen, last man Andy Preston missed the tackle and Wray crashed over in the corner.

Hewitt rubbed salt into the wounds with a fine kick from the touchline and added a penalty five minutes later.

At 16-6 the game shouldn't have been over for York yet their body language suggested it was.

They looked like a beaten side and, although it took Rovers until 12 minutes from time to score again, the Wasps rarely threatened to drag themselves back into it.

Then in those closing stages it all fell apart as Rovers ran in three more tries.

The first came when Leroy McKenzie tried to guard Rob Nolan's kick into touch but he was bustled out the way by Whetu Taewa and Wray picked up the loose ball to scoot away to the corner.

Then Mike Dixon broke from his own 20 metre line to within 25 metres of the York line before being caught by Gray. From the next play, with the defence still getting back, the ball went to Hardy who crossed under the posts.

Their last try came from another kick, this time into the corner by Joe, which Austerfield should have knocked dead. But he was too slow and substitute Gavin Molloy pounced on the ball over the try-line.

At least the last word went to York and fittingly it fell to McTigue. The ball was moved quickly along to the right side and Andy Hill sent McTigue crashing over from close range.

Gray's conversion attempt hit the cross bar which summed up York's day - so near yet so far.

In that first half hour they showed they can compete with the best in the league. Now they have to show they can do it for a full 80 minutes.

Northern Ford Premiership

Hull KR 30, York 10

(Sunday, February 20, at Craven Park)

YORK WASPS: Andy Preston 7, Leroy McKenzie 6, Spencer Hargrave 7, Shaun Austerfield 6, Rob Lee 6, Kevin Gray 7, Darren Callaghan 6, Lea Tichener 7, Gareth Dobson 8, Steve Hill 7, Andy Hill 7, Lee McTigue 8, Chris Judge 7

Subs: John McCracken (for Preston 47mins) 7, Paul Darley (A Hill 34) 6, Alan Pallister (Dobson 66), Craig Booth (Tichener 28) 7.

Re-subs: Tichener for S Hill 61, A Hill for Darley 64.

Sin-bin: Gray 27mins (professional foul)

Tries: Austerfield (17mins), McTigue (79)

Penalties: Gray 1. Conversions: 0

Man of the match: Lee McTigueA terrific display on his first game as a professional. Worked hard throughout, took the ball up well and tackled superbly

HULL KR: Bob Everitt, Dean Andrews, Rob Nolan, Whetu Taewa, Jon Wray, Leroy Joe, Mark Hewitt, Paul Fletcher, Mike Dixon, Craig Hardy, Andy Smith, Chris Charles, Richard Slater.

Subs: Mick Crane (for Hewitt 65mins), Gavin Molloy (Everitt 68), Jamie Bovill (Slater 57), Simon Booth (Hardy 27).

Re-subs: Hardy for Booth 63.

Tries: Everitt (32mins), Wray (45, 68), Hardy (72), Molloy (76).

Conversions: Hewitt 2, Charles 1. Penalties: Hewitt 2

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.