Saturday 8th September 2012, 13:00 - Round:27

Kieran Dixon and Michael Robertson ran in two tries each as London Broncos ended their Stobart Super League season on a high by beating Hull KR 48-42.

The full-back and winger grabbed a try apiece in each half as the Londoners made it four wins from their final five games of the campaign in a thrilling finale.

For Rovers it was a disappointing finish having had their play-off hopes ended by Wigan Warriors last week.

With David Hodgson missing due to a hamstring tear, Rovers coach Craig Sandercock elected to give a senior debut to winger Nick Johnson.

For the Broncos, Chris Bailey and Dan Sarginson returned to the starting line-up, with hooker Julien Rinaldi beginning his final game before retirement among the replacements.

The hosts made the brighter start, Robertson giving London an early lead when he claimed Luke Dorn’s kick to crash over.

And things got even better for the Broncos 10 minutes in, Omari Caro intercepting a Michael Dobson pass and showing an impressive burst of pace to surge the length of the field and touch down.

Battling to ensure they avoided finishing bottom of the pile, it was the men from the capital who were asking most of the questions, prompted by the ever-alert Craig Gower.

London should have stretched further ahead midway through the half, but Chad Randall was unable to wrestle the ball free having wriggled to the line.

Ben Galea, in his last game in Rovers colours, was trying hard to lift the visitors, but each time the Robins got deep into London territory a risky pass cost them dear.

And that profligacy came to the fore again after 24 minutes, David Howell blocking a Dobson grubber and engineering a counterattack that saw Chris Bailey release Dixon to scorch home from inside his own half.

Rovers were offering precious little, and London stretched even further ahead when Bailey was first to ground a Gower grubber as it rolled beyond the posts.

The visitors finally got on the board seven minutes before the break, Micky Paea dumping Olsi Krasniqi on the ground as he rumbled to the line.

Suddenly Rovers had a spring in their step and they added a further try before the break, Richard Beaumont finishing off good work from Dobson.

Any thoughts of a drop in the scoring after the interval were quickly put to bed after 45 minutes, Dixon adding his second score in the corner after good hands from Mark Bryant and Sarginson.

The tries kept on coming, Dave Peterson the next to cross after good work from Craig Hall as Rovers once again hauled themselves back into the contest.

Each time the visitors sniffed a chance though the Londoners hit back, Robertson adding his second score after 55 minutes, with Dobson sin-binned for dissent in the aftermath of the score.

To their credit the Robins did add a score when down to 12 men, Chris Heil burrowing over in the corner.

And things took another turn when Sandercock’s men struck again shortly afterwards, Mika shrugging off four tacklers to touch down.

The home fans thought they were able to breathe a sigh of relief when Krasniqi muscled his way over after good work from Rinaldi, but they still needed a late Dorn try after Rovers scores from Galea, Mika and Dobson in the closing moments.

Gower was on form with the boot for the home side with eight successful kicks. For Hull KR Dobson landed four kicks and Hall one.