WATCH - Hull FC 28 Castleford Tigers 12: Marc Sneyd kicks Hull into quarter-finals as Peter Mata'utia suffers kicking meltdown

The Hull FC half-back is already enshrined in the competition’s folklore as the only player to ever win the Lance Todd Trophy back-to-back following his man-of-the-match displays in the club’s victorious 2016 and 2017 finals.

And it was Sneyd’s reassuring left boot that did so much damage again last night as the Black and Whites moved to within just two games of yet another Wembley appearance.

The 28-year-old’s 100 per cent goal-kicking rate - six goals from as many attempts - helped his side to this victory but it was his tactical kicking that kept his side always in charge against a poor Castleford side.

It was just the sort of response Hull, well-served by Ratu Naulago, Bureta Faraimo and Jake Connor, needed after a dreadful 37-6 home loss to Catalans Dragons a week earlier.

Here, though, it was the Tigers who were dreadful. They were left to rue a hugely costly nine-minute spell in the first half when they conceded 20 points and saw their hopes of success essentially disappear.

It is the first time since Daryl Powell took charge in 2013 that they have lost four successive games in one season.

Even the surprise appearance of Paul McShane and Grant Millington - neither of whom were in the original 19-man squad - could stop from them falling as much as they tried to retrieve the situation in the second period.

Unfortunately for the West Yorkshire side, while Sneyd was deadly with the boot, their full-back Peter Mata’utia was far from it.

Castleford took an early lead via his penalty but, once Connor stepped over for Hull’s first try in the 10th minute, the next time they touched the ball they were 20-2 behind.

There was some catastrophic errors in there, principly from Mata’utia.

Kicking out on the full from a restart has always been seen as a cardinal sin in rugby league.

It really should never happen at this level.

Yet, criminally, Mata’utia did it twice back-to-back last night. Having also made the same mistake against Warrington last Saturday.

On the Super League statistics page there is no KOOOF (Kick-Offs-Out-On-Full) column yet but it is thought the Samoan would surely be the leader; he has now done it at least four times this season perhaps five.

It begged the question why he was still being allowed to have the responsibility?

Thankfully, McShane - the stand-in Castleford captain - soon claimed the ball off him and took matters into his own hands. Or left boot, to be more precise.

The problem was, by this point, Castleford were 18 points behind and heading out of the Challenge Cup for another year, their last Wembley success being 1986.

A Nathan Massey high tackle had seen Sneyd slot a penalty in the 14th minute and then came Mata’utia’s first gaffe.

That said, he wasn’t alone; in the resulting set, Tuoyo Egodo, the Castleford right winger, flew in off his flank but missed Josh Griffin who was able to offload and smuggle Faraimo over the line.

Sneyd, as he tends to do, curled over the touchline conversion and then hoofed a penalty into touch once Mata’utia had done likewise again.

From there, it was Sneyd’s pinpoint accuracy again that did the damage, this time landing a crossfield kick for Connor to nudge the ball back for Albert Kelly to get over.

Too many Castleford players failed to get airborne on their own line.

Sneyd’s simple conversion made it 20-2 and Hull must have thought they would be easing in to tomorrow night’s quarter-final draw.

But Castleford steadied enough to see James Clare - Greg Eden was dropped after his nightmare against Warrington - over in the left corner, Mata’utia, in fairness, showing precision with his final pass.

He also managed to convert from the touchline but soon his mistake-ridden eam were erratic as ever.

They were almost running around in circles when Naulago, who had an excellent game on his return from Sunday’s Army duty at Twickenham, managed to tackle three players in one play as Chris Clarkson and Jake Trueman both tried passing around him to no avail.

They only managed to splutter a forward pass as Naulago harried them at every turn.

Later, the Fijian - who only swapped codes earlier this year - also produced a try-saving tackle on Clare; Hull will hope they can keep him in Black and White colours as long as possible before his next Services recall.

Sneyd slotted a penalty early in the second period and then got back to make a try-saving tackle on Egodo before Mark Minichiello scored after another great run from Faraimo.

Cory Aston crossed late on for Castleford but it was no consolation and they are left to concentrate on reviving their Super League campaign.

Hull FC: Kelly; Naulago, Logan, Griffin, Faraimo; Connor, Sneyd; Taylor, Houghton, Paea, Minichiello, Manu, Westerman. Substitutes: Hadley, Green, Matongo, Ellis.

Castleford Tigers: Mata’utia; Egodo, Minikin, Blair, Clare; Trueman, Aston; Watts, McShane, Maher, Clarkson, McMeeken, Massey. Substitutes: Millington, Milner, Sene-Lefao, Cook.

Referee: Robert Hicks (Oldham)