Castleford Tigers 26 Hull FC 34: Hull battle back to pinch points as Castleford suffer in heat of Jungle

HULL made it three wins from four Engage Super League games as they beat a Castleford side who refused to lay down on a baking hot afternoon at The Jungle.

The Black and Whites trailed 16-10 at the interval, but after the break they took control of the game, scoring 24 consecutive points as they followed up the previous weekend's 28-14 win against Catalans in Perpignan.

Hull opened the scoring as early as the ninth minute much to the delight of their huge army of travelling fans who occupied two sides of the ground.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It was Sean Long's clever footwork which created the score, drawing two defenders before finding Tansey.

He had a simple two-on-one decision to make and found scorer Kirk Yeaman, who came in on the angle and had too much pace for Ryan McGoldrick, with a little support pass.

Danny Tickle kicked the goal before a second score arrived with Long once again the orchestrator. His pass found Tansey, but this time the Black and Whites full-back opted to throw a dummy wide, straighten up and saunter between the posts.

Cas shored things up in the middle of the park and hit back after Hull were penalised for laying on. Stuart Jones went charging through a gap left by the out-of-position Craig Fitzgibbon with 18 minutes gone.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Joe Westerman proceeded to tag on the extras before the game turned scrappy.

The Tigers crossed again after Danny Houghton fumbled 30 metres from his own line.

In the set that followed, Tom Briscoe made a poor defensive call in flying in to protect the centre and Dean Widders, who had clearly spotted eventual try scorer Joe Arundel in acres of space, produced a great over-the-top, looping pass.

Westerman knocked over a penalty to give his side the lead.

And seconds before the half-time hooter Michael Wainwright squeezed his way over.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The ball had been spun left by the Cas backs and the telling ball came from Michael Shenton.

Long got his side off to the best possible start after the break when he caught a ball from McGoldrick on his 40-metre line.

Still with plenty to do the 33-year-old showed he still has enough in his legs and out-sprinted three Cas defenders in a straight race for the line.

Tickle then levelled the scores with the conversion.

Craig Huby was held up as he crossed the line and Long had a 'try' chalked off as he hoovered up a bobbling ball, but the next score and perhaps the crucial one went the way of the East Yorkshire side.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Briscoe dotted down after a Paul McShane dart and enterprising kick. Tickle booted the conversion and then slotted a penalty as the hosts tired.

Fitzgibbon then plunged over for a converted score after a hulking run which saw the Australian forward take several defenders over the line with him.

Yeaman's kick on then handed Mark O'Meley the simplest of tasks, picking the ball up and planting it on the whitewash.

However, Rangi Chase scored a length-of-the-field effort and Wainwright claimed his second of the afternoon a minute from time as the hosts added a sense of respectability to the scoreline.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Castleford: McGoldrick, Wainwright, Shenton, Ferres, Arundel, Widders, Chase, Higgins, Hudson, Huby, Jones, Snitch, Westerman. Substitutes: Sargent, Clayton, Tuson, Wood.

Hull: Tansey, Whiting, Turner, Yeaman, T. Briscoe, Washbrook, Long, Dowes, Houghton, O'Meley, Radford, Tickle, Fitzgibbon. Substitutes: Burnett, Hall, Moa, McShane.

Referee: B Thaler (Wakefield).