Castleford Tigers 10 Warrington Wolves 12: Agony for Castleford at the death

Stefan Ratchford converted the young full-back's superb finish - after a fine break by Ben Currie - to leave Daryl Powell’s side stunned and dejected.

After investing so much, how much energy - both physically and mentally - they will have left when they head back to St Helens to face Hull FC in the Challenge Cup on Sunday remains to be seen.

It was certainly a gut-wrenching experience for Castleford who had generally held firm and looked set to record back-to-back wins.

The experienced forward trio of Adam Milner, Grant Millington and Junior Moors along with the excellent youngster Jacques O’Neill all made significant impacts to help wear their opponents down in a fascinating game.

But it all amounted to nothing and gutsy Warrington - despite missing so many regulars including ex-Castleford hooker Daryl Clark whose partner had gone into labour earlier in the day - somehow completed a fifth straight win since lockdown.

The game was level 6-6 at half-time but Castleford took the lead moments after Jake Mamo was sin-binned for blocking Derrell Olpherts off the ball as a kick was chased in the 53rd minute.

It was the Tigers winger who smuggled over in the next set after the ball was worked wide to him although there was some doubting the grounding.

Danny Richardson failed to convert and his side were worried when - with Warrington’s first real attack of the second half - Blake Austin darted over in the 63rd minute.

Referee Robert Hicks awarded the try on the field but - after numerous replays - it was deemed the Australian stand-off spilled under pressure as he reached the line.

From there, Powell’s side had to defend manfully especially as rare unforced errors heaped pressure on. Eventually, they broke as youngster Ashton darted clear from halfway.

Wolves winger Tom Lineham was put on report in the 31st minute after Alex Foster became the second Castleford player in a matter of weeks to alleged his genitals had been grabbed.

Yet Tigers will wonder just how they went in at 6-6. They had largely dominated the first period but saw a plethora of opportunities come and go.

Gareth O’Brien did latch on to Danny Richardson’s 18th minute grubber after it ricocheted off a post for a converted score.

But, by that point, Richardson had already had one effort ruled out after he was deemed to have performed a double-movement.

Later, Millington also looked to have scrambled over but replays showed the Australian prop was marginally short.

A forceful Mike McMeeken broke through but was denied at the last before Olpherts was also denied, chopped down illegally by Lineham’s high tackle.

Austin produced a remarkable try-saving tackle on Peter Mata’utia just as the Castleford stand-off seemed to have glided through and you sensed it was almost inevitable desperate Warrington would counter.

They duly did with barely 90 seconds of the first period remaining, Austin - who kicked wonderfully - hoisting a high kick that Josh Charnley gathered and quickly fed to Anthony Gelling.

Ratchford converted from the touchline to level matters and then did the job at the end.

Castleford Tigers: O’Brien; Olpherts, Foster, Shenton, Eden; Mata’utia, Richardson; Watts, McShane, Griffin, Holmes, McMeeken, Massey. Substitutes: Millington, Milner, Moors, O’Neill.

Warrington Wolves: Ashton, Charnley, Gelling, Mamo, Lineham; Austin, Ratchford; Latu, Walker, Cooper, Currie, King, Murdoch-Masila. Substitutes: Patton, Johnson, Robson, Doro.

Referee: Robert Hicks (Oldham)