After their late loss to bottom side Leeds Rhinos last Friday night, Hull FC were looking for a return to the summit with an all important Derby victory over the red side of town. Any win would go hand in hand with the hope that the Rhinos could spring another surprise and defeat their nearest rivals Wigan Warriors in tomorrow nights game

Hull KR still have a mathematical chance of making the top eight but anything other than a win tonight would end those chances and leave them battling for their finishing position in the bottom four.

FC had Gareth Ellis and Leo Pryce back in their ranks and the bookies had them as favourites to take the points. Josh Mantellato was back for KR playing for the first time since these two met on Good Friday.

Both sides had early chances to open the scoring but it took ten and a half minutes for Liam Watts bust the KR line from ten metres to drop over the line. Sneyd kicked the extra two from in-front of the sticks.

On fourteen Danny Houghton picked up a clever little Sneyd grubber kick to wrong foot Thomas Minns and score behind the sticks. Sneyd again added the two for 12-0 and it had become one-way traffic.

On twenty-three Mark Minichiello picked up another Sneyd grubber, this time going five metres to score and when Sneyd added the extras it was 18-0.

As the half wore on KR increasingly got into their stride and three minutes from half-time Albert Kelly went close but lost the ball while stretching to score. But despite keeping FC out for twenty-minutes the start to the second half would bring more KR pain.

Seven minutes into the second half and Mark Minichiello got his second of the game when he stepped between three KR defenders to ground behind the sticks and give Sneyd his fourth kick of the night to take a 24-0 lead.

Four minutes and Steve Michaels was at the end of a passing move to round the KR winger and score in the corner. Sneyd added the extras from close to the touchline and the black and whites were now out of sight.

As the clock hit fifty-four minutes Adam Walker opened the red and whites account when he came onto the ball on an angle and bust the line to go over under the sticks and give Josh Mantellato a simple kick to improve.

As the KR defence tired, FC continued their dominance. On sixty-six Fonua offloaded brilliantly to put Steve Michaels down the right wing, improving the angle before he touched down, to get his second of the night. Sneyd made it six from six for 36-6 to secure his sides return to the top of the table.

KR got the last try of the night and edged to double figures when Ian Thornley evaded two attempted tackles and then threw an outrageous dummy for a thirty metre try. Mantellato added the extras for 36-12 but KR were now confirmed in the bottom four and will be joining Leeds, Huddersfield, and Salford as the fourth Super League club in the middle eights.

FC: Shaul, Michaels (2T), Fonua, Yeaman, Talanoa, Abdull, Sneyd (6G), Taylor, Houghton (T), Watts (T), Manu, Minichiello (2T), Ellis. Subs: Thompson, Bowden, Pryce, Washbrook.

KR: Cockayne, Sio, Minns, Thornley (T), Mantellato (2G), Blair, Kelly, Allgood, Lunt, Tilse, Greenwood, Clarkson, Donaldson. Subs: Walker (T), Mulhern, Lawler, Marsh.

Referee: Ben Thaler.

Attendance: