Tigers rally to see off Crusaders

Castleford Tigers inflicted a 35-22 defeat on Celtic Crusaders at the Jungle to bring down the curtain on an unhappy debut engage Super League season for the Welsh team.

The Crusaders' display was a microcosm of their entire campaign, promising at times but lacking in quality at the crucial moments.

A nip and tuck first period saw Lloyd White and Lincoln Withers (2) cross for the Crusaders, while Kirk Dixon, Mitchell Sargent and Michael Wainwright all went over for Castleford - Joe Westerman's poor kicking handing the visitors a shock half-time lead.

Ryan O'Hara added a converted score just after the break, but Richard Owen got the hosts back in it before a Michael Shenton double and late Craig Huby score settled the fixture in their favour.

The visitors took the lead in the seventh minute after prop O'Hara seized the momentum with a bulldozing run. Scrum-half Matt Smith put in a high, hanging kick, the Tigers knocked on and White eventually went in for a try in the corner with Ash Bateman laying it on for him.

Powerful

Steve Tyrer missed a difficult conversion before the home side's response came in the 16th minute as they worked the ball wide following some powerful forward play.

Stand-off Rangi Chase took the ball on in open play and combined with Ryan McGoldrick to send Dixon racing down the touchline for a score.

Westerman failed to add the extras but just four minutes later they crossed again when Brent Sherwin popped the ball up for Sargent to take at speed and slice through some weak defending to score.

But Crusaders showed real fighting spirit and Withers reacted well to a Smith grubber in the 23rd minute and scooped the ball from the surface before dropping over the line. Tyrer was on target this time with the boot.

And another came in 25th minute when Ben Flower went racing through a gaping hole and unselfishly passed it to Withers who raced between the sticks unopposed.

Again Tyrer tagged on the extras but the hosts reduced the gap to two points three minutes later after Brett Ferres took a huge crash ball before fast hands saw Wainwright squeeze over.

Inside pass

Just moments into the second half O'Hara took a nice inside pass and went in for Crusaders' fourth score which left Tyrer a simple conversion right in front of the posts.

Owen scored for the Tigers in the 45th minute after Huby floated a great pass on to the replacement.

Minutes later they crossed again, Chase made the initial half break before the ball was worked wide and centre Shenton cantered over in the corner. Westerman was wide with the conversion to give himself figures of four from five.

Castleford took the lead for first time in the second period when Shenton helped himself to his second of the afternoon in the 61st minute when a McGoldrick kick was knocked down for him. A change of kicker brought about a change of fortune as Dixon nailed the conversion.

Sherwin added a drop goal and Huby piled over at the death to put the game beyond doubt as the Crusaders inherited the wooden spoon from the vastly improved Tigers, who go forward to play Wigan Warriors at the DW Stadium in next Sunday's elimination play-off.