- by Tony Bluff

On a great day for playing football, warm but not sunny, the tigers set the game going but it was the Rovers who struck first in the second minute, 1minute 4seconds to be precise, when a good build-up found Gillett on the right. His perfectly flighted cross to the middle was headed over the keeper, who was off his line, by WOODS from about 15yards. Continuing to press the Rovers were awarded a free kick in a central position just outside the penalty area in the 8th minute. A venomous drive by Woods flew through the wall for Duke, seeing it at the last minute, to beat it out. This set the visitors on the attack, a through ball between the Rovers centre backs found BARMBY, who calmly placed it past Sullivan in the 9th minute. From the re-start the Rovers set up Oster but his 25yarder went wide. Gillett and Sharp then linked up to force a corner, which came out to Woods at the left angle of the penalty area. A tremendous right foot shot could only be beaten out by Duke. Hull then got more into the game and in the 20th minute Bostock had a crack from 25yards that Sullivan could only parry away. End-to-end play ensued without troubling the keepers until just before the half hour when Sharp got into the Hull penalty area to hit a cracker with a clear sight of goal but Solano suddenly appeared to block it  Five minutes later and Dawson brought down Sharp on the edge of the Hull area and received a booking for his pains. The ball came back off the wall, was headed back into the middle by Coppinger for Oster to get in a back-header that went over the bar. As time ran down to the break the Rovers were undoubtedly having the best of things and won a corner in the 44th minute. Woods swung the ball on to the penalty spot where Ashbee went up with Martis. The Hull man had his arm in the air and the referee was perfectly positioned to spot the arm and ball meeting. SHARP took the penalty kick and put it one side whilst the keeper went the other. The Rovers went in at half-time full value for their lead.

Half time - ROVERS 2 Hull City 1

The Rovers made a change for the start of the second half, with Hird replacing Lockwood, who had taken a knock in the first half. The home team got the second half underway and went straight on to the attack. Two minutes in and a great build-up by the Rovers culminated in Coppinger, on the right,  crossing, the ball then came out of defence to Stock, who volleyed high and wide from 20 yards. General play followed, with the Rovers enjoying most of the possession. Hull won their first corner in the 54th minute but nothing came of it and ten minutes later a long ball from Solano out of defence reached Barmby just inside the Rovers area and a looping header forced Sullivan into a good save.  Then, in the 69th minute, came another goal for the Rovers. COPPINGER initiated the move and then finished with aplomb from 10yards to give the Rovers a two-goal lead following good work by O'Connor and Woods. Five minutes on and a free kick to the Tigers 20yards out and in a central position was taken by Solano and brought a good save from Sullivan. At the other end, Sharp made space in the area and unleashed a tremendous drive from 15yards that brought an equally tremendous save from Duke. Minutes later and a Sharp pass back to Woods was fired wide. Hull then had a good chance in the 81st minute when a clearance rebounded off Martis into the path of Simpson, whose shot from 20yards rebounded off Sullivan's chest and cleared by O'Connor. The visitors came on strong in the last ten minutes but their only chances were a free kick from a central position just outside the area that Koren put high and wide and then, in the last minute of added time, a cross from their left was met by a header at the far post that was going into the far corner of the net before O'Connor cleared off the line with Sullivan beaten.

A good, hard fought game as befits a Yorkshire 'derby', with the Rovers getting into the game that we all know they can play. It was welcome return by Oster, who had a good game but Woods, with a goal and an assist, won the Man of the Match award for an all-action display.

Result - ROVERS 3 Hull City 1

Teams - ROVERS - Neil Sullivan; James O'Connor, Shelton Martis, Adam Lockwood, George Friend; John Oster, Brian Stock, Simon Gillett, Martin Woods;James Coppinger; Billy Sharp

Subs used - Sam Hird for Lockwood 46mins; Dean Shiels for Oster 70mins; Ryan Mason for Stock 87mins

Subs not used - Mark Wilson, , Mustapha Dumbuya, Waide Fairhurst, Gary Woods gk

Hull City - Matt Duke; Nolberto Solano, Kamit Zayatte, Liam Cooper, Andy Dawson; Richard Garcia, Ian Ashbee, Robert Koren, Nick Barmby; John Bostock; Mark Cullen,

Subs used - Tom Cairney for Bostock 66mins; Jay Simpson for Barmby 66mins;

Subs not used - Anthony Gardener, Kevin Kilbane, Mark Oxley, Will Atkinson, Jamie Devitt, Cautions - Dawson, Zayatte, Ashbee, Bostock