Round 24
Hull KR 16 l. Harlequins 40

2008 engage English Super League Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: United Kingdom > National > First Grade Competition: engage English Super League

Harlequins keep Finals hopes alive
Mon August 11, 2008
Source: www.superleague.co.uk

Harlequins followed up last week's victory over Bradford with a resounding 40-16 win over Hull Kingston Rovers in their engage Super League clash at Craven Park.

Six tries and eight goals put the home side to the sword as they struggled to compete with the Londoners from the off.

The Quins now leapfrog the Robins, who kept alive their faint hopes of securing the the final play-off spot.

Chad Randall, Will Sharp, Dave Howell, Henry Paul and two penalties from Rob Purdham gave the Quins a 28-0 half-time lead from which Rovers would never recover.

And despite a late fightback from Rovers led by Michael Dobson, Harlequins ran out clear winners.

The early stages belonged to Harlequins with Paul pegging the hosts back with a series of long kicks on a greasy Craven Park surface.

Shaun Briscoe weathered the aerial bombardment well and Rovers seemed to have soaked up the early pressure from Quins.

But Randall opened the scoring for Harlequins in the sixth minute.

The Quins hooker darted for the line following a good spell of possession. And despite the best efforts of the two Robins defenders he somehow managed to touch down.

Purdham added the extras and moments later Sharp finished a good Quins move following an attempted interception from Jake Webster.

After being handed another set of six, fast Quins hands left Sharp with plenty to do but the winger stepped inside and crashed over. Purdham was on hand to convert.

Harlequins continued their examination of the Rovers defence and grabbed a third in the 14th minute.

Stand-off Scott Hill slid a kick in behind the home defence and the chasing Purdham did well to gather it up and offload it to centre Howell, who was presented with the easy task of crossing the whitewash.

Purdham converted and then struck a penalty to give the Londoners a 20-point lead with little Rovers resistance.

Paul forced his way over in the 28th minute following another sustained period of possession.

Centre Webster added to Rovers' woes on the stroke of half-time, nudging an advancing Quins attacker off the ball as he chased a clever grubber from Paul.

Purdham converted to give the away side a 28-0 lead at the interval.

Paul Cooke made his return to the Rovers side following a two-game absence for disciplinary reasons and it made a brief difference as the Robins hit back in the opening minute of the second half.

Following a good set of six from Rovers, Dobson grubbered through towards the Quins line.

The ball bounced kindly for Jon Steel, who did well to scoop up and cross the line.

Prop Gareth Haggerty then dashed any hope of a comeback, crashing over after the Quins forced their way to within metres of the line.

The home side then conceded another soft try as Hill sauntered over the line. Purdham then maintained his 100% record with the boot as he made it eight from eight.

Peter Fox sprinted the length of the field and Dobson touched down in the closing stages but it proved only to be too little too late for Rovers.

Report Source: www.superleague.co.uk

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