Scholarship: Castleford Tigers vs Salford Red Devils

Castleford Tigers Scholarship side got their first win of the season on Wednesday evening, in narrow victory at Salford Red Devils at the AJ Bell Community Stadium Fields.

A late try for the visitors tied the scores in the dying seconds; and the resulting conversion sealed victory as the youth team, as they held their line through to the final whistle and leave with a 32-30 victory.

Tigers started well with a huge statement of intent, and opened the scoring inside the first five minutes. Noah Whittingham asked questions of the Devils defense deep on their try line, creating the opportunity  for Joseph Huskins to crash over at close range. Millen Deravairere kicked the conversion for the visitors.

Mid way through the first half the Tigers again asked tested the hosts. Whittingham made yards at the line, before Hooker Noah Handley stepped the approaching defenders and ghosted through the line to score. Deravairere again kicked the conversion.

The last pass evaded them when they returned up field when Alfie Morgan looked to improve their lead with a clever pass from Deravairere, but the Tigers were stalled by the execution of last play.

They quickly returned from strong defense deep in their territory when ever-dangerous full back Joshua Sundin broke from half way, and left the Salford attempted tacklers for speed to score their third try.

The Red Devils continued to press and while holding firm, the Tigers back-line was breached on the stroke of half time when they managed to break through to score.

The Tigers led at the break 16-4

The comfortable lead as the second half got underway quickly tested the Castleford resolve. Gifted field position from an early penalty the home side quickly capitalized on the field position and wrestled over for a converted try.

The visitors defense caused the hosts all manner of issues, thwarting any go-forward and starved them of position; the Salford back line were forced to kick from their own try line to attempt to clear their line. They pressed and looked threatening before Sundin again stepped the defense and raced clear to grab his brace. Deravairere again successful with the boot.

Looking to press forward while been held deep in their own half, Rudi Pryce looked to be racing clear, but the officials hauled them back for a forward pass. The Salford attack worked the ball well and scored in the left hand corner to continue the arm-wrestle.

Lively half back Jack Bramley caused problems and his neat pass sent Deravairere in at the corner to keep the Tigers on the ascendancy.

Going into the final quarter the hosts hit gear and starved the Tigers of any possession and any good-ball. A knock-on gifted the Devils opportunity which they took and scored a converted try, before quickly retuning off the back of a penalty gifting them yardage quickly up-field. Another try quickly followed as they capitalized on the territorial play, and the successful conversion tied the scores at 26-26 with less than ten minutes remaining.

Castleford’s youth looked to have lost their advantage of score margin, and with five minutes remaining the hosts jumped blind-side from acting half; scoring in the corner; and appeared to have sealed victory. The unsuccessful conversion from touchline had the Tigers with a testing finale; but character and desire saw them still press and attempt to gain good opportunities.

Challenging the hosts through several attempts, the Tigers attacking edge were rewarded for their deception and alignment, as Whittingham breached the back line and evaded would-be tacklers to score under the posts. Deravairere’s conversion gave them a slender lead and time running out. The back line resilience held firm for another Red Devils attack, but they held firm and grabbed their first victory of the season with 32-30 win

CASTLEFORD TIGERS SCHOLARSHIP

SUNDIN, Joshua, DA SILVA PEREIRA, Caio, HEPWORTH, Joshua, SKENE, Bradley, PRYCE, Rudi, MORGAN, Alfie, BRAMLEY, Jack, WHITTINGHAM, Noah, HANDLEY, Noah, WALSH, Lennon, JONES, Bayley, DERAVAIRERE, Millen, HUSKINS, Joseph

INTERCHANGES

SHARP, Bobby, BOYCOTT, Harvey, DOWNING, George, MILES, Frankie, MCNAMARA, Kane, HAWKIN, Joshua, WHITE, Finley

TRIES: Sundin x2 (30min& 47min), Huskins (5min), Handley (17min), Deravairere (60min), Whittingham (79min)

GOALS ; Deravairere x 4

Half Time : 4-16

Full Time : 30-32