CASTLEFORD TIGERS RESERVES REPORT

Castleford Tigers Reserves welcomed Leigh Leopards to the Jungle on Sunday afternoon, in a repeat of their respective First Teams Super League fixture the night before.

The Tigers Youth Development program continues to show its promise and attraction; with the hosts adding talented Academy player Bradley Bullock to the Reserve side for his debut.

The Reserve team line up; which already contained had five academy players in Tylor Sharpe, Alfie Lindsey, Mitchell Beedle, Samual Grice and Alfie Salmon on its team sheet were complimented by a sprinkling of First Team squad players gaining much needed game time ‘moving forward’.

Starting well the Tigers forced and error straight from the kick off and laid the platform for a good start. Joshua Hodson tested the defence, along with Ramon Nunes Silva. Hooker Ethan Newboult’s quick thinking saw him jump from acting-half and dive over to open the scoring in the first few minutes. Mitchell Beedle added the conversion.

The Castleford attack did look to have broken through again when Leo Skerrett Evans looked to have broken through to score but was judged to have dropped the ball when scoring by the referee.

Both sides tested each other’s back line, but their defences held firm. An error from the Castleford attack coming out of deep territory gifted the Leopards good-ball, which they capitalised on. Testing the defence to the left before Leigh Hooker Brad Dwyer jumped out to score a trademark try. Ben McNamara added their conversion and it was all square on the half hour.

The Leopards quickly returned when a ‘set-restart’ saw them gain field position and made yardage. Attacking the right wing before switching back across and going over to take the lead in the left corner with a try.

A loose carry and penalty for ‘holding down’ gifted the Leigh attack more possession in good territory. Breaking through the middle into dangerous ground, the Tigers back line appeared to stalled the Leigh progress, but shifting the ball to wide left they went in at the corner with the final play of the half to go in at the break leading 14-6.

Castleford’s attack started the second half much like the first and quickly responded to get back in the game. On their first attack half back Jenson Windley’s opportune high kick was met by winger Alfie Lindsey, who himself kicked for the in-goal and won the race with a gallant engaging effort to ground the ball in goal. Beedle added the touchline conversion to narrow the margin to a slim two points.

The pendulum swung in favour of Leigh when McNamara opened up the defence with a pass to the right, before his full back stepped through the opening created to score.

Staying in the ‘mix’ Windley gave his side a fighting chance when he took on the back line and found result as he scored; and took over several would-be tacklers to score on the hour. Beedle added the conversion and tied the scores at 18-18.

Unfortunately for the hosts, the Leopards attack went up another gear and the game went away from them in the final quarter. A long passage of play for the Leigh attack saw reward with their fifth try and quickly returned off the back of a knock-on from the Tigers in back play. The extra possession saw the game quickly shift and Leighs sixth try effectively sealed victory with the conversion.

With the time running out, a break down the left wing by Leigh and good yardage made, an inside ball saw Dwyer grab his brace. The conversion completed the Leopards 36-18 victory.

CASTLEFORD TIGERS RESERVES

T. SHARPE, A. DJEUKESSI, D. SARBAH, J. HODSON, A. LINDSEY, M.BEEDLE, J. WINDLEY, L. SKERRETT EVANS, E. NEWBOULT, R. NUNES SILVA, S. GRICE. S.DARLEY, D MILLINGTON

INTERCHANGES

A.HAWKHEAD, A. SALMON, B. BULLOCK, W. WALKER

TRIES: Newboult (4mins), Lindsey (41mins), Windley (57mins)

GOALS ; Beedle x 2

Half Time : 6-14

Full Time : 18-36