Castleford 38 Catalans Dragons 24: Powell left relieved as Tigers enjoy their sweet win

Sweet Caroline, the song Castleford Tigers have adopted as their club anthem in recent times, belted out of Wheldon Road at last yesterday after their first league win there since April 3.

The victory, against an increasingly faltering Catalans Dragons side, ended a four-game losing sequence and, crucially, saw them rise up to sixth confirming their place in Super League’s top-eight with two regular rounds to go.

Central to this success was Luke Gale, as ever, who directed Castleford around brilliantly from scrum-half.

But Luke Dorn, the evergreen Australian full-back who really should not retire at the end of the season, scored two tries and there was also a brace for Ryan Hampshire, the on-loan Wigan Warriors stand-off who, with five other wingers injured, offered to play his first-ever game out wide.

However, the biggest cheer of the day came for Frankie Mariano, the hulking second-row who stormed over for a brilliant 40m solo try just before the break in only his second Castleford game this season following two years of injury torment.

When Paul McShane then burrowed in on the interval hooter, Gale’s second from five conversions put them 20-6 ahead, meaning once Dorn weaved over in typical exuberant style early in the second period from Gale’s inside pass, there was no looking back.

“It clearly was an important win for us,” admitted Powell.

“When you look at the way things have been going (ninth-placed) Hull KR could easily have won their next two games so, in terms of the whole season so far, it was crucial.

“We needed to win but we had a great week in practice and then got out of it what we wanted.

“It was a little bit scratchy at times while we were a little frustrated when we were trying to nail Catalans to the floor and there’s a lot of improvement on what we’ve done here.

“But the frustration and anxiety dies a little bit after today as we know where we’re going to be now (Super 8s) and that’s been important to us.

“We’ve not heard Sweet Caroline for a while either. It was good to hear the old melody tonight.”

Hampshire, who has struggled to hold a place in either of his normal positions of No 6 or full-back, had only played a dozen games so far for Castleford, scoring just once, and had not featured at all for the last six weeks.

However, the 21-year-old, who will return to Wigan in 2017, showed real pace and class to finish his two first-half tries.

Rangi Chase, meanwhile, was not selected – the ex-England stand-off could make his first appearance since re-joining the club against Warrington Wolves at Wheldon Road next Sunday – but Powell’s side was certainly not short of ingenuity with Gale and Dorn so involved.

Fourth-placed Catalans, who have now lost four successive games including a Challenge Cup quarter-final, had no answer to their guile and, by the end, were left rueing two disallowed tries inside the opening five minutes which could have changed the direction this game went.

Lacking eight regulars – as were the hosts – all they did muster in the first half was Justin Horo’s 11-minute converted try.

Fouad Yaha crossed in the 47th minute after Dorn’s first to make it 26-12 but Ben Crooks produced a fine one-on-one ball steal to thwart him again, just as the winger was gathering momentum. That led to the position for Oli Holmes’s 51st minute try from Gale’s grubber which, effectively, killed the contest.

Dorn dummied his way in for his second so, even though Remi Casty plundered over on the hour, Bosc adding his third kick, it mattered little.

Julian Bousquet got Catalans’ fourth try with the final play of the game, Gigot converting, but it took little gloss off this Tigers win.

The only negative was a late injury to Nathan Massey, the loose forward who suffered a problem with a long-running wrist issue and may now need surgery earlier than expected.

On Hampshire’s impact on the wing, Joel Monaghan, Paddy Flynn, Jake Webster, Jy Hitchcox and Ash Robson all being injured, Powell admitted: “I thought he did well there actually.

“We lost five players from last week and our outside backs were stripped right to the bare bones.

“But I got a really good text from him in the week saying he’ll play anywhere in the team and if that’s the wing, so be it.

“He did well and he looked like he wanted to play there which was really pleasing. It was great for Frankie, too, scoring that try.

“Obviously, he been at Batley for a couple of weeks and it’s been a tough ride for him for a while now.

“So it was really pleasing to see him spear straight through their middle and finish it off.

“He’s a big old human being so get him rolling that quick and he’s hard to bring down.”

Castleford Tigers: Dorn; Hampshire, Crooks, Minikin, Solomona; McShane, Gale; Tickle, Milner, Patrick, O Holmes, Moors, Massey. Substitutes: Millington, Mariano, Cook, Springer.

Catalans Dragons: Escare; Broughton, Gigot, Duport, Yaha; Bosc, Myler; Maria, Da Costa, Casty, Taylor, Horo, Garcia. Substitutes; Bousquet, Pelissier, Mounis, Navarrete.

Referee: M Woodhead (St Helens).