MATCH REPORT - Rd 7 Tigers v Leopards
The Tigers were back in Super League Round 7 action at the Jungle, following a free week over the Cup weekend.
The hosts welcomed back Lee Kershaw on a two week loan deal, to cover for the suspended Innes Senior, while Liam Horne and Dan Okoro also returned to the side.
The Tigers back line were caught off-guard in the early opening exchanges when Robbie Mulhern broke the middle and Edwin Ipape jumped out of acting half to open the scoring in the first five minutes. Former Tiger Gareth O’Brien added the conversion.
Castleford defence then became tested; when George Lawler was sent to the sin bin for a tackle lifting above the horizonal and the resulting penalty from Obrien improved the Leopards lead.
Ab race of penalties lifted the Leigh attack up-field into good territory but the Tigers held firm. They looked to get back in the arm-wrestle when they got back up field with Joe Westerman shifting the ball wide left, and Tex Hoy coupled with a neat off-load from Sam Wood appeared to have sent Kershaw in at the corner, only for the home side to be pulled back for a forward pass.
Leigh looked to have gain more opportunity but they held out and stalled the pressure from a last-gasp tackle from Jeremiah Simbiken.
Holding the Leigh attack up over the line looked to have absorbed the Leopards threat buit working the ball wide right saw them go in at the corner to increase their lead.
As the time ran out on the half; Rowen Milnes kick into the in-goal asked questions of the Leigh defence, with Zac Cini and Simbiken holding firm, but their hard work saw the half run out and the visitors hold on at the break with a 12-0 lead.
The Leigh attack found rewards quickly after the half time break. Dan Okoros introduction had held the line strong but the ball shipped wide to left hand corner where Leigh scored again.
Sustained pressure then followed, and the Tigers attack were kept deep in their own half for periods without any good territorial play; with fourth try out wide in the right hand wing to give them a 20-0 lead in the fiftieth minute.
Cini’s hard yardage earned the Tigers a penalty and looked to create some possession, but an error at the line thwarted the good work to get in good field-position.
The Tigers then found the hard work back in the mix when Sylvester Namo was sent to the sin bin for an alleged high shot. They still pressed and looked to have reaped rewards through Josh Simm scrambling for the line, but was held-up when trying to ground the ball. Starting back on the ten, they looked to press but an error stalled the potential attack.
The did find joy when a Milnes high kick for the line saw Cini reap the ball from the sky and down the ball in the in-goal to get the Tigers first try on 75 mins. Miles kicked the conversion.
The Castleford attack did look to make yardage and Sam Wood made good yardage down the left side, along with ever-dangerous Alex Mellor in the second row, but the final pass evaded their good work.
Another attack followed but the hosts were unable to find some cohesion to get any reward, and time ran out with the Leopards holding out for their deserved 20-6 win.
POTM ; Alex Mellor
CASTLEFORD TIGERS : Hoy, Simm, Cini, Wood, Kershaw, Asi, Milnes, Mustapha, Horne, Lawler, Simbiken, Mellor, Westerman
INTERCHANGES : Griffin, Robb, Namo Okoro
TRIES : Cini
CONVERSIONS : Milnes
Sin bin: Lawler on 10mins – dangerous throw, Namo on 65mins– head contact
LEIGH LEOPARDS : Armstrong, McIntosh, Niu, Brand, Hodgson, O’Brien, Lam, Trout, Ipape, Mulhern, Halton, Hughes, Liu
INTERCHANGES : Pene, Tuitavake, Davis, Brogan
TRIES : Ipape (4), McIntosh (37, 50), Hodgson (42)
CONVERSIONS : O’Brien x 1
PENALTY : O’Brien x 1