Hull FC 24 Castleford Tigers 31: Powell's heroes show their class to knock Airlie Birds off perch

NOT JUST YET: Denny Solomona is denied a spectacular hat-trick try against Hull last night after an earlier obstruction, but he was to grab his third late on. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe

They were under pressure for much of this game against the previously unbeaten Super League leaders who continually found yards up the middle around their ruck.

However, just when Castleford looked beaten, they found something to at first cling on and then edge a brilliant win, their first at the KC Stadium in five years.

There was big players all over the park and for both teams.

Castleford's players mob Denny Solomona after he scored his hat-trick try late on against Hull FC.
Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe — Castleford's players mob Denny Solomona after he scored his hat-trick try late on against Hull FC. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe

Essentially, Luke Gale’s remarkable 74th-minute drop goal was the critical moment for the visitors in this pulsating Yorkshire derby.

Yet then Denny Solomona, the prolific winger who came up with so much magic again, completed a hat-trick with the very last play, poaching a pass from Hull’s Fetuli Talanoa as the hosts desperately tried to retrieve things.

That takes his tally to six tries in just three games and the New Zealander’s finishing truly is world-class; he also had a fourth ruled out for obstruction.

However, there has been no mention yet of Jy Hitchcox, too, who scored two tries on his surprise Super League debut.

Castleford saw Australian Joel Monaghan pull out shortly before kick-off with a back problem that had first appeared on Wednesday.

That saw fellow countryman Hitchcox – who was playing part-time with Featherstone Rovers last season and not initially in the 19-man squad – thrown straight into the starting line-up by Daryl Powell.

He scored within just 90 seconds.

Centre Ben Crooks made the scorching break on his first return to former club Hull and livewire Hitchcox was on hand to finish.

Castleford soon built up an 18-6 advantage and then led  22-18 when Solomona scored his stunning second try in the 55th minute.

But Hull hit straight back via an equally stunning solo try from Jamie Shaul with the visitors found wanting around the ruck yet again and ex-Tiger Marc Sneyd slotted his fourth conversion for a 24-22 lead.

It looked like Gale’s one miss – for Solomona’s second score of the night – would prove to be costly.

However, the England hopeful then slotted a 72nd-minute penalty before, moments later, holding his nerve with a 40m one-pointer when under immense pressure.

It still needed a crucial tackle from winger Hitchcox to deny Shaul a hat-trick of his own at the death.

Hitchcox, 26, had only briefly played first-grade in the NRL with Wests Tigers but impressed at Featherstone and persuaded Castleford coach Powell to take a punt.

The visitors tore into a 12-0 lead inside just eight minutes when opposite winger Solomona skipped in for his fourth try of the season.

Hull hit back via ex-Tiger Jordan Thompson after 15 minutes but, despite having most of the ball, were left powerless as Hitchcox added his second in the 27th minute.

Luke Dorn was harried into a rushed cross-field kick from the left and Crooks rose to palm the ball on to his winger who then showed real acceleration to get around Talanoa and in at the corner from just 10m out.

Gale landed his third successive conversion for an 18-6 lead but Lee Radford’s side were impressive in the way they powered back.

On the back of a couple of penalties, they found down the right side where Jack Logan’s clever pass furnished winger Steve Michaels.

It was Michaels’s impressive kick-return that then set Hull in play for their third try two minutes before the break, the hosts then making quick yards around the ruck as they did all the first period, before Danny Washbrook cut a fine angle and then off-loaded for Jamie Shaul to cross.

Sneyd slotted his third kick to send them in level at 18-18.

The visitors had shown real resilience at times in defence, Crooks – who won 2013 Super League Young Player of the Year at Hull before his form dipped – holding up Mark Minichiello over his own goal-line and Jake Webster doing likewise.

It was Webster’s great off-load that saw Solomona squeeze over in the 55th minute before Shaul scurried in for a brilliant second in the 58th minute. But Castleford were not to be denied.

Hull FC: Shaul; Michaels, Logan, Tuimavave, Talanoa; Pryce, Sneyd; Taylor, Houghton, Watts, Minichiello, Manu, Thompson. Substitutes: Ellis, Bowden, Pritchard, Washbrook.

Castleford Tigers: Dorn; Hitchcox, Crooks, Webster, Solomona; Roberts, Gale; Lynch, McShane, Millington, Holmes, McMeeken, Jewitt. Subsitutes: Milner, Massey, Cook, Moors.

Referee: Robert Hicks (Oldham)