Cas beaten by Hull FC

Daryl Powell made a few alterations to his Challenge Cup semi-final selection with Alex Foster, Danny Richardson, Brad Martin, and George Griffin all coming into the starting thirteen. Youngster Qareqare also started to make his Super League debut, a very proud moment for him and the club’s academy.

The Tigers got off to a perfect start and it was a dream debut for Qareqare inside two minutes. Cas drove their first set from the kick off up the field and opened up the pitch on the left hand side around halfway. Michael Shenton released the young wing, and he left Jake Conor for dead as he sped round the outside to score in the corner. Richardson could not add the extras from the conversion.

The black and whites tried to respond quickly as Conor looked threatening as he brought the play out to the near side, but Adam Swift was dragged out of play by the covering Castleford defence.

Cas came close to adding a second as they went to the short side, and it was debutant Qareqare who looked dangerous again as he drove for the line from five metres out on the last but came up short.

Hull fired back in the 16th minute as the powerful Mahe Fonua got on the outside of Derrell Olpherts and Paul McShane, holding off both before offloading to Swift for the winger to coast home. Marc Sneyd kicked the two points to put FC 6-4 ahead.

The black and whites had the momentum now and it was Fonua who was causing Cas issues again. A flowing move to the near side eventually came to the centre, he bulldozed his way towards the try line but some fantastic Tigers defending pushed him out of play.

Hull came forward once again, however, Cas were let off the hook when Sneyd fired a wayward pass trying to find Swift with the left side wide open, but the wing couldn’t collect the ball.

Castleford’s defence was called into action on a couple of occasions soon after, stopping a chip and chase from Sneyd and were able to stop a marauding charge to the line from Josh Reynolds who was challenge brilliantly by Paul McShane.

Just after the half hour mark a quick tap and go from Adam Milner got Cas up inside the opposition 20 metre line. Richardson flung a pass into the path of Oliver Holmes who made a burst for the line, although the FC defence was equal to it.

With three minutes of the first half left, the Tigers got themselves level as a penalty was given for a late shot on Jesse Sene-Lefao around 15 metres out from the line. Richardson’s right boot was accurate and put the scores at 6-6.

The 6-6 scoreline didn’t last long as a high kick from Hull FC on the last tackle was tapped backwards by Connor. Fonua was in the right place at the right time as the ball dropped out the sky to go over and get FC back ahead. Sneyd converted from the tee for the second time to take it to 6-12 as the teams went into the sheds.

Hull began the second half fast as a probing chip forward on the last had to be taken out of play by Qareqare. The kick out gave the visitors possession and they used it well as they shifted the play to the left edge and Connor ripped a pass out to Swift for his second of the night. Sneyd kicked accurately from out wide to extend their lead to 6 points to 18.

FC’s number 21 thought he had claimed a hat-trick as he raced after a kick to the left and had the ball down in the corner, but the video referee awarded no try as the ball narrowly went out.

Fonua provided a great attacking outlet for FC and was almost in again after a pass from Sneyd found the charging centre five metres out but fortunately for Cas he knocked on.

A few minutes later, Hull were fortunate not to be down to twelve men as a high tackle from Reynolds on Holmes was unpunished by the referee.

It was that man Fonua who got himself on the scoresheet again in the 56th minute as Danny Houghton took the play to the left edge and the number 5 just about managed to keep the ball under control as he skidded over. Sneyd’s perfect record from the tee continued to give Hull a 6-24 advantage.

A penalty given to Cas for a nasty looking challenge on Foster got the Tigers up into FC territory. Massey initially had a dig for the try line but was stopped just short, before Olpherts mishandled out wide.

Hull then went hunting for a try as Connor put a cheeky kick towards the line on the last, but Mata’utia read it well and tidied up for Castleford.

Swift went close to grabbing a hat-trick again as a pass was floated out to him out on the touchline but Olpherts and the rest of the Tigers’ defence got across in time to shepherd the FC man out of play.

Sneyd was sent to the bin for holding a Cas player down near the line and this gave the hosts a new set of six. The Tigers went through the phases but couldn’t take advantage as a Michael Shenton pass out to Qareqare on the left side was too low for the wing to collect.

With just over 5 minutes remaining a 40/20 kick put Hull deep into the Castleford Tigers half. The visitors got their fifth try through Connor who kept his momentum going to barge through a couple of Cas players and stook out a hand to score. The full-back then converted his own try.

The Tigers got a late score courtesy of Holmes who received a Liam Watts offload near the ten-metre line and the second-row darted over to get Cas’ second. Richardson took the conversion and added the extras for the game to finish 12-30.

Full-time: Castleford Tigers 12-30 Hull FC

Castleford: Mata’utia, Olpherts, Foster, Shenton, Qareqare, McShane, Richardson, Martin, Milner, Griffin, Holmes, Sene-Lefao, Massey

Interchange: Watts, O’Neill, Hepi, Peachey

Tries: Qareqare, Holmes

Conversions: Richardson (1/2)

Goals: Richardson (1/1)

Hull FC: Connor, Faraimo, Tuimavave, Fonua, Swift, Reynolds, Sneyd, Sao, Houghton, Satae, Savelio, Ma’u, Lane

Interchange: Johnstone, Fash, Bowden, Scott

Tries: Swift x2, Fonua x2, Connor

Conversions: Sneyd (4/4), Connor (1/1)

Sin bin: Sneyd