Tigers roar past Robins
Castleford overcame injury-hit Hull KR 18-10 at the Jungle to register just their fourth win of the engage Super League season.
Last Updated: 06/07/08 4:07pm
Castleford overcame injury-hit Hull KR 18-10 at the Jungle to register just their fourth win of the engage Super League season.
The Tigers, who had drawn with Wigan in their last home game, surged out to a half-time lead with tries from Luke Dorn, Michael Shenton and Peter Lupton.
Kirk Dixon converted all three to make it 18-0 and the Robins, on a six-match losing run, were booed off by their travelling supporters at the break.
The visitors did show some fighting spirit in the second half, though, but scores from Michael Vella and Jon Steele proved to be in vain.
Play-off hopes
A seventh successive defeat for Justin Morgan's men leaves them well adrift of a play-off place with time fast running out in the regular season.
Their cause has not been helped by a lengthy injury list, England international Peter Fox the latest casualty with an infected knee, and a makeshift line-up struggled during the first 40 minutes.
They could have taken the lead when scrum-half Michael Dobson broke the Tigers' ranks but failed to find Fox's stand-in Lee Gomersall, who would have almost certainly reached the line.
Instead it was Castleford who grabbed the first points in Sunday's early kick-off when Brent Sherwin's deft kick allowed Luke Dorn to grab his 12th of the season.
A second home try followed 10 minutes later when Peter Lupton's mipressive break from deep was finished off by centre Michael Shenton.
It went from bad to worse for the rocking Robins when a Sherwin bomb saw two Rovers defenders collide, allowing Lupton to nip in and score.
Healthy advantage
Dixon's third successful conversion gave the Tigers a healthy advantage before they had to hold off a comeback attempt in the second half.
Mick Vella darted through a gap on the next play following a lengthy stoppage for an injury to Rhys Lovegrove, the substitute's effort eight minutes after the re-start being converted by Paul Cooke.
Boosted by the early score Rovers pressed hard at the Tigers' line, Cooke himself going close on several occasions before heavy showers dampened their spirits and allowed the home team to ride out the storm.
By the time Steele managed an uncoverted try with eight minutes to go the Robins knew the game was up, Castleford clinging on to claim two crucial points in their bid to avoid picking up the wooden spoon.