Castleford and Wigan played their re-arranged fixture from a wintery round six in the June heat, with Wigan being without their England stars, Bateman and O’Loughlin, who had de-camped to Denver for tomorrow’s test against New Zealand.
A win for the Tigers would get them within a point of their opponents and into third spot but a win for the Warriors would enable them to narrow the margin on the league leaders, St Helens, to four points.
Castleford were very slight favourites with the bookies based on home advantage but it would be a brave person who’d pick a winner before the kick off.
Dan Sarginson picked up a leg injury in the opening exchanges and was helped from the field, being replace by Tony Clubb.
On fifteen minutes Jy Hitchcox spilled the ball, after taking a Michael Shenton pass, with the Wigan line begging. Two minutes later and the Warriors took the lead when Sam Tomkins went through a gap to score after shaking off a Jacob Trueman tackle. Tomkins was unable to kick the touchline conversion.
Thomas Leuluai was held up over the line by Grant Millington to stop Wigan doubling their lead on twenty-three, with the visitors taking control over a Tigers side making repeated errors and relinquishing possession.
Quentin Laulu-Togaga’e levelled the scores on twenty-six after a perfectly timed run let him breach the Wigan defence off a delightful Trueman pass. Jamie Ellis couldn’t add the kick from wide.
A superb seventy-five metre Liam Marshall try saw Wigan regain the lead as he weaved his way to the line, eluding the Tigers tacklers. Tomkins added the goal for a 10-4 lead with seven minutes to the break.
A Morgan Escaré break saw Wigan advance eighty metres but as the Tigers scrambled in defence they conceded a penalty which Tomkins slotted through the uprights for a 12-4 lead as half time approached.
Paul McShane was the provider, via Junior Moors, for Michael Shenton to open the second half scoring on fifty as he strolled over for Tigers second of the game. Ellis added the extras for 10-12. It was game on.
After a high tackle on Trueman, Ellis kicked the penalty goal from in front of the sticks to level the scores just short of the hour mark.
The Tigers should have scored straight from the kick-off when James Green passed with the try line begging and the poor pass saw Moors put the ball to ground.
Castleford hit the front on sixty-three when Matt Cook crashed through the Wigan line from close range to ground the ball. Ellis added the goal for a six point lead.
Matt Cook was sin-binned on sixty-eight for a challenge on Romain Navarrete and from the penalty, Wigan went downfield with Tomkins putting Tom Davies over to score. Tomkins added the extras and the sides were all square with nine minutes remaining.
The sides exchanged two missed drop goal attempts apiece in an exciting last ten and with seconds remaining Jamie Ellis managed to get the Tigers third attempt between the uprights, off a Warriors hand for a 19-18 win.
There was plenty of excitement in an action packed eighty minutes with a frenzied conclusion which went Castleford’s way and lifted them into third position in the table. The sin-binning of Cook looked to have swung things Wigan’s way but the Tigers dug deep to secure the points.
Tigers: Laulu-Togaga’e (T), Clare, Webster, Shenton (T), Hitchcox, Ellis (3G, DG), Trueman, Cook (T, SB on 68), McShane, Massey, Moors, Millington, Maher. Subs: Springer, Green, Clark, Egodo.
Warriors: Tomkins (T, 3G), Davies (T), Sarginson, Gildart, Marshall (T), Woods, Powell, Navarrete, Leuluai, Flower, Paisley, Isa, Hamilton. Subs: Clubb, Tautai, Escaré, Field.
Half Time: 4-12.
Full Time: 19-18.
Referee: James Child.
Attendance: .
