Saturday 20 August 2016 17:31, UK
Challenge Cup finalists Warrington sealed a Super League play-off place on Saturday with a last-gasp 14-11 victory over Castleford at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
The triumph lifted the Wolves up to second in the table - just one point behind next weekend's Wembley opponents Hull - and nine points above fifth-placed Catalans Dragons with four games left.
The battling Tigers had led 11-10 until Jack Hughes went over in a nail-biting finale to hand the hosts the points.
Castleford recovered from conceding an early converted try to former player Joe Westerman to lead 8-6 at half-time thanks to Denny Solomona's 32nd Super League try of the season and two Luke Gale goals.
Gale stretched the lead to 10-6 with another penalty before Rhys Evans went over for Warrington, but crucially Kurt Gidley missed the difficult conversion attempt.
A Gale drop-goal edged the home team ahead 11-10, before Hughes took Chris Sandow's pass to cross for the crucial late score.
Wolves coach Tony Smith resisted the temptation to rest many of his likely Wembley line-up as they aimed for their third win in four meetings against Castleford this season.
The Tigers were under the cosh from the start and it needed desperate defence to hold up Daryl Clark over the line.
It seemed only a matter of time until the Tigers' line was breached and the opening score duly arrived in the ninth minute, Westerman ploughing through Larne Patrick's tackle and touching down. Gidley added the conversion.
Castleford recovered from the early onslaught to draw level after 26 minutes when smart passing saw Greg Minikin put Solomona over in the corner, and Gale converted.
Gale fired the Tigers ahead for the first time after Chris Hill conceded a penalty, as Daryl Powell's side rallied impressively.
The hosts lost substitute Frankie Mariano in a daze, but Brad Dwyer almost wriggled over for Warrington just before the break.
A Paul McShane 40-20 early in the second half boosted the Tigers, who stretched their advantage to four points with another Gale penalty for offside.
Warrington were not helped by handling errors, Ryan Bailey losing possession near the Tigers' line.
Castleford were dealing competently with everything Warrington threw at them until Sandow's long pass put Evans over in the corner on the hour to level the scores.
Sandow was off target with a long-range drop-goal attempt six minutes from time as the tension mounted, and then missed a straightforward effort from in front of the posts.
Gale then showed how it should be done with his one-pointer, before Hughes touched down for the match-winning try.
