Super League: Hull KR 24-22 Salford Red Devils

Hull KR's Mikey Lewis scored his first professional tries

Hull KR edged past Salford Red Devils in Super League after kick-off at the Halliwell Jones Stadium was delayed as both clubs awaited coronavirus results.

The game started an hour late, with two Salford players testing positive days before Saturday's Challenge Cup final.

Salford rested Dan Sarginson, Kallum Watkins and Tui Lolohea but pegged back strugglers Hull KR on four occasions.

Jamie Ellis' last-minute penalty eventually sealed victory for Rovers, who had lost their past five matches.

Salford had been on a run of five straight wins in all competitions but drop to ninth in Super League, one place above the Robins.

The change in kick-off time was announced just 90 minutes before the original start time of 14:00 BST, with two players from each side returning inconclusive coronavirus tests - on top of Salford's two positive results - this morning, meaning they had to be stood down.

The match was watched by former Hull KR forward Mose Masoe, who suffered a career-ending spinal injury in January.

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Kane Linnett set up tries for Mikey Lewis and Ben Crooks - either side of a Connor Jones score for Salford - to put Hull KR 12-6 up at the interval.

Ian Watson's side again levelled through Luke Yates' burst under the posts but Rovers led once more after a penalty try, awarded to Lewis after the full-back was pushed away from collecting a grubber kick by Olly Ashall-Bott.

Ashall-Bott then side-stepped the Robins defence to score his first Salford try and make it 18-18.

Hull KR led for a fourth time when Jordan Abdull went over in the corner but Ed Chamberlain squared things up again for Salford before missing a kick to put them ahead for the first time.

In the final minute a high tackle by Pauli Pauli on Matt Parcell allowed Ellis to kick between the posts from 35 metres to give Rovers a much-needed win.

Hull KR head coach Tony Smith:

"I changed my team four times since yesterday. I'm glad we won because I can say these are hard circumstances and it's hats off to all the players involved and many of the staff as well.

"The team that trained on Sunday was nothing like the one you saw today. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to come today. I only got cleared this morning."

(on Mose Masoe) "He's a real inspiration. All the boys love him. He has had a huge impact on us this year and he continues to help us and influence in the right way."

Salford head coach Ian Watson:

"We've had a lot of disruption. We've not been able to train since the Huddersfield game last Thursday and this is supposed to be one of the best weeks of their careers.

"But no-one has complained. We've had to have two days at home and we thought the game was going to end up having to be cancelled but we rolled it well and I can't speak highly enough of the boys at the moment.

"It may affect the Challenge Cup final team now but I'm really confident, whatever team we put out, we are going there to win."

Hull KR: Lewis, Crooks, Linnett, Abdull, Kenny-Dowall, Ellis, Brierley, Mulhern, Minchella, W. Maher, Hauraki, Hadley, Garbutt.

Interchanges: Parcell, Lawler, Trout, Gee.

Salford: Ashall-Bott, Chamberlain, C. Jones, Kear, L. Roberts, Gilmore, Atkin, Ikahihifo, Ackers, O. Roberts, Lannon, McCarthy, Burke.

Interchanges: Aspey, Yates, Inu, Pauli.

Referee: James Child (RFL)