Hull KR 34 Castleford Tigers 10: Late rally sees Robins book semi-final spot

HULL KR became the first team through to next month’s Challenge Cup semi-finals after a hard-fought, but ultimately deserved, win over Castleford Tigers at Craven Park tonight.
DOUBLING UP: Hull KR's Elliot Minchella celebartes scoring his second try against Castleford Tigers. 
Picture: Bruce Rollinson.DOUBLING UP: Hull KR's Elliot Minchella celebartes scoring his second try against Castleford Tigers. 
Picture: Bruce Rollinson.
DOUBLING UP: Hull KR's Elliot Minchella celebartes scoring his second try against Castleford Tigers. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.

Both teams put their bodies on the line in a crunching contest which will leave their coaches with some selection concerns ahead of the busy Easter period.

Rovers lost Mikey Lewis to an ankle injury early in the second half, before Castleford’s Bureta Faraimo (knee) and Jordan Turner (shoulder) both left the action.

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Half-back Jordan Abdull returned to Rovers’ 17 after recovering from the ear infection which kept him out of last week’s Super League win over Warrington Wolves, but had to settle for a place on the bench as Rowan Milnes continued in the starting line-up.

FULL STRETCH: Castleford Tigers' Adam Milner is held by Hull KR's Sam Wood. 
Picture: Bruce Rollinson.FULL STRETCH: Castleford Tigers' Adam Milner is held by Hull KR's Sam Wood. 
Picture: Bruce Rollinson.
FULL STRETCH: Castleford Tigers' Adam Milner is held by Hull KR's Sam Wood. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.

The decision to start with Milnes was justified as he created the Robins’ first two tries, as they raced into a 12-0 lead, then scored the crucial touchdown to put clear space between the sides in the final quarter.

That came from a kick by Abdull, who had come on in the first half at centre, went off for a herald injury assessment and then returned to partner Milnes after Lewis had gone off.

Abdull also set up the deciding try, for Sam Wood and crossed himself in the final seconds.

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It was a scrappy, stop-start contest, but there could be no questioning the commitment from either team.

Rovers seemed to have one foot in the semi-finals following a dominant opening spell, but Tigers battled back spiritedly before half-time.

Only two Lachlan Coote conversions, to one by Gareth O’Brien, separated the teams at the interval, but Ryan Hall, a famed Challenge Cup performer during his time with Leeds Rhinos, extended the Robins’ advantage and Milnes’ touchdown began a spell of 18 points in the final 15 minutes.

It was Milnes who provided the assist for the opening try, after four minutes, when he placed a low kick behind the visitors’ line and Elliot Minchella, who was outstanding at loose-forward for the hosts, ran through to gather and touch down.

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Paul McShane had made an excellent tackle on Coote on the play before the try, but he made a mistake soon afterwards when he hoofed a kick out on the full to put Rovers back in good field position.

It seemed Minchella had scored again when he stretched over from Matt Parcell’s pass in the eighth minute. Referee Robert Hicks handed the decision on as a try, but he was overruled by video assistant James Child who spotted a gap between hand and ball.

Having been under the cosh in the opening stages, Tigers went close to opening their account when Faraimo made a break from near his own line and then punted a kick forward.

Jake Mamo did well to palm the ball back just before it went dead in goal, but Hall grounded it to concede a drop out which came to nothing.

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Poor passes by Greg Eden and Niall Evalds cost Castleford a couple of good opportunities at the end of the opening quarter, but the visitors seemed to be gaining a foothold in the game.

However, in the set after Evalds’ pass went beyond Faraimo into touch, Milnes put up a high kick on the last which Coote tapped back; Shaun Kenny-Dowall and Kane Linnett kept the ball alive until it reached Milnes and he repeated his trick from earlier with another well-judged grubber behind the line which Minchella touched down.

It seemed a long way back, but a brilliant weaving run by Evalds set up a response, 14 minutes before the interval to begin a period of dominance.

He had the Robins’ defence back-pedalling and though Adam Milner seemed to have made a mistake when he kicked early, Coote spilled it and from the scrum, in-form winger Eden touched down acrobatically from a smart pass by Kenny Edwards.

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Coote’s restart sailed out on the full and in the next set O’Brien’s kick went via Parcell to Mamo, but he was held up over the line

Five minutes before the interval, though, another attack from deep did produce Tigers’ second try. Again Eden finished off, after an excellent build-up by Turner and Evalds. Parcell was twice held up over Castleford’s line in the early stages of the second period before Hall gave the Robins some breathing space with a strong finish from an outstanding pass by Coote.

The conversion was missed leaving only six points between the teams, but Milnes’ try with 15 minutes left doubled the lead and Wood settled it six minutes later when he burst over.

In the final seconds Abdull broke clear from inside his own half and Coote landed his fifth goal to complete the scoring.

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Hull KR: Cootes, Keinhorst, Wood, Kenny-Dowall, Hall, Lewis, Milnes, Maher, Parcell, King, Linnett, Halton, Minchella. Subs Abdull, Storton, Litten, Richards.

Castleford Tigers: Evalds, Eden, Turner, Mamo, Faraimo, Trueman, O’Brien, Massey, McShane, Smith, Edwards, Griffin, Westerman. Subs Watts, Milner, Fonua, Matagi.

Referee: Robert Hicks (Oldham).

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