Wigan Warriors 38 Castleford Tigers 22: Tigers fade as Wigan extend lead over chasing pack

The Warriors, who have had to wait since April for the chance to atone for their shock home defeat by Harlequins, always looked the likely winners but were made to work hard for their victory by a dogged Tigers side who were outscored seven tries to four.

The first try went the way of the visitors after five minutes and it was Paul Jackson who took a well-timed flat ball from Ryan Hudson and went low and hard for the line after Kyle Wood had been halted by Michael McIlorum.

Joe Westerman then added the extras, but Wigan came up with a great riposte and went over for a try of their own in the ninth minute. Ryan McGoldrick conceded a silly penalty and after fast hands saw the ball shipped right, Darrell Goulding applied the finishing touches.

The home side edged in front on 19 minutes, the exciting half-back Sam Tomkins providing the necessary spark with a great ball to try scorer Thomas Leuluai.

Prop Liam Higgins failed to push up, the gap opened, and two or three quick passes later, Leuluai scorched through and touched down.

Richards, as he was with his side's first, was again on target with the boot.

Chris Tuson, who this week returned from a loan spell with today's opponents, charged over in the 26th minute, taking a couple of tacklers with him after Mitchell Sargent inexplicably lost the ball near his own line. Richards put his conversion attempt wide this time.

But some hard work just before the interval saw the Tigers hit back with a second converted score. After an enterprising run and clever inside ball from McGoldrick, Stuart Jones came up from underneath a pile of Wigan jerseys after smashing his way across the whitewash just to the right of where Craig Huby had been held up shortly before.

And just four minutes into the second half Brett Ferres went over in the corner for a try converted by Westerman as the West Yorkshire side levelled.

But Wigan launched another dangerous looking attack in the 50th minute and after Richards took Martin Gleeson's floated pass and bounced a defender, Goulding, who was hugging the right-hand touchline, had plenty of space to scamper home.

Just 10 minutes later the combination that had worked so well for the previous try, succeeded again with Goulding helping himself to his hat-trick score – a walk-in, Richards once again laying it on.

Leuluai scythed through the Cas defence again in the 62nd minute and with Wigan players flooding forward, the supporting Sean O'Loughlin was best placed to take it on under the sticks as the cover came across.

Richard converted two of those three scores, while Jones was sin-binned for the visitors and O'Loughlin claimed his second of the afternoon in the 73rd minute as Wigan pulled away.

Huby then fought off three defenders to claim a late consolation but the points had already gone the way of the league leaders.

Wigan Warriors: Richards, Goulding, Gleeson, Carmont, Pryce, S. Tomkins, Leuluai, Fielden, McIlorum, Prescott, Bailey, J. Tomkins, S. O'Loughlin. Substitutes: Riddell, Paleaaesina, Farrell, Tuson.

Castleford Tigers: McGoldrick, Dixon, Shenton, Ferres, Wainwright, Widders, Wood, Higgins, Hudson, Jackson, Huby, Clayton, Westerman. Substitutes: Sargent, Jones, Thompson, Walker.

Referee: T Alibert (Toulouse).