Widnes Vikings Gil Dudson is tackled by Hull Kingston Rovers' Mitchell Allgood (left) and Dane Tilse (right)
Widnes recovered from a sluggish start to move back to the top of Super League after a 30-16 victory against depleted Hull KR.
Widnes were trailing 12-10 on the scoreboard until six minutes before the break recovered quickly to lead 22-12 at the break and ultimately leave Rovers without a win this season.
Joe Mellor and Corey Thompson each crossed twice for the Vikings, with their other try from Rhys Hanbury who also added five goals. Following the defeat, Rovers announced James Webster's return to the club as interim coach for the remainder of the season, taking over from caretaker Willie Poching.
Rovers were unable to call upon the services of suspended James Green, banned for one match for his spat with Travis Burns against St Helens, with Albert Kelly and acting captain Graeme Horne added to the lengthening injury list. Without eight regulars in all, Poching handed teenage forward Kieran Moran his debut on a youthful bench.
Widnes brought in Connor Farrell as they looked to avenge their 12-8 home defeat by Rovers in the Super Eights last August and maintain their impressive start to the campaign. After Gil Dudson lost the ball in the first tackle, the home side had to defend four sets of six from the kick-off and the pressure told with a darting burst from George Lawler allowing Maurice Blair to put Rovers into a seventh-minute lead, with Ryan Shaw booting the conversion.
Widnes had a chance to cancel out the Blair effort shortly after but a Charly Runciman try was disallowed for a forward pass from Kevin Brown. However, the Vikings' enterprise was rewarded after 15 minutes when Chris Bridge sent Thompson racing down the wing and his inside pass found Hanbury, who converted his own touchdown.
Rovers' bad luck continued when their increasingly crowded physio room recruited its latest member when Liam Salter, only recently back from a shoulder injury,was forced off midway through the first half. KR continued to plug away, with Adam Walker held up over the line and an unforced error from sub Manase Manuokafoa not helping the Vikings' cause.
It needed a touch of class from Mellor to put Widnes ahead for the first time when he shot through a gap and raced around Ben Cockayne to make it 10-6 after a 35-yard burst. Rovers stuck doggedly to their task and were rewarded when substitute Thomas Minns brushed off Stefan Marsh on a rampaging run and Shaw landed his second conversion to edge his side ahead 12-10 after half an hour.
The lead changed hands again six minutes before the restart, with Mellor taking a return pass from Chris Dean to notch his second try and Hanbury adding his second conversion to make it 16-12. Mellor immediately hit Rovers again, with his burst allowing Bridge to send Thompson over for his seventh try of the season. Hanbury's goal stretched the advantage to 22-12 at the break.
Bridge and Mellor then engineered Thompson's second try soon after the restart, with Hanbury's conversion making it 28-12 and putting Widnes in firm control. James Greenwood went close for the Robins, who continued to battle against the odds, spurred on by a vociferous army of travelling fans.
Brown's kick almost brought Thompson his hat-trick try but it was Rovers who scored next, with Shaw going over in the corner after 63 minutes from a long pass by Blair. Widnes lost Farrell with a leg injury before Hanbury slotted over a late penalty.
