Castleford battle past resilient Rovers for fourth win of the season

First-half efforts from Luke Dorn, Michael Shenton and Peter Lupton proved too much for the visitors, who could only claw back two tries after the break. Rovers, now without a win in six games, only have the slightest of chances of making the top six.

Castleford's Ryan Boyle is tackled by Hull KR's Mick Vella and Stanley Gene at The Jungle

Hull KR had the better of the early exchanges with stand-off Paul Cooke pegging the hosts back with an accurate kick. 

And they had two early opportunities but failed to convert both. First scrum-half Michael Dobson broke the Tigers' ranks but failed to find Lee Gomersall, who would have almost certainly opened the scoring given the chance.

Then a clever pass from Cooke, which sent second rower Chris Chester clean through, was adjudged to have been forward by referee Richard Silverwood.

The Tigers opened the scoring in the ninth minute following a mistake from Stanley Gene as Rovers attempted to force their way out of their own half.

Half-back Brent Sherwin slotted a clever kick between two Rovers defenders and Dorn managed to get himself on the end of it for his 12th of the season. Kirk Dixon added the extras.

A response almost came moments later when fast hands gave wing Jon Steel an
opportunity to gallop home down the right flank. But a superb covering tackle
from Michael Wainwright saved the Tigers.

The home side continued to dominate and they grabbed a second with only 18 minutes on the clock.

Loose forward Lupton broke from deep inside the Castleford half and, just when it looked as though he would be caught, Shenton took the ball on and touched down under the posts with Dixon on hand to convert.

Castleford had several other chances to increase their lead with wing Richard Owen and Sherwin both spilling the ball as they raced towards the Rovers line.

But the errors did not prove as costly as Hull KR's and in the 36th minute Castleford added a third.

Sherwin was once again the creator with a hanging cross-field kick that took a
wicked bounce over Gomersall and towards the Rovers try line.

Lupton was quickest to react and scooped the ball up from the greasy surface
before piling over.

Dixon made it three conversions from three to give the Tigers an 18-point lead at the interval.

After the break Hull KR came out a different side and got themselves on the scoreboard in the 47th minute - much to the delight of the traveling Rovers contingent.

A good spell of pressure resulted in substitute Mick Vella darting through a gap in the Tigers defence to touch down.

Cooke converted to make it 18-6 but he almost created a second moments later when he drilled a kick into the corner of the in-goal area.But despite the best efforts of two Rovers attackers the ball went dead.

Cooke made a number of good breaks but the game slowed for a period with handling made difficult by the heavy showers.

Castleford clearly sensed victory with 15 minutes remaining and a spell of hard  tackling helped them to contain Rovers in their own third.

Steel gave Hull KR hope with a try eight minutes from time but Cooke missed the
conversion and left the visitors with too much to do.