Super League: Castleford Tigers 32-24 Hull KR

Improving Castleford produced a stirring display to brush aside Hull Kingston Rovers at Wheldon Road.

Tries for Rhys Lovegrove and Liam Salter for HKR, and Ryan Boyle and Justin Carney for the Tigers, left the score level at half-time.

Salter scored just 12 seconds after the break to put Rovers back in front.

But tries from Michael Shenton, Jonathan Walker, Carney and Jordan Tansey saw Cas stretch away to complete their third victory of the season.

With Daryl Powell looking set to be confirmed as Castleford's new coach on Tuesday after leaving Featherstone following a successful four-year stint in charge, he will take over a squad now third bottom on points difference having overhauled London and Salford.

News of Powell's impending appointment had filtered around the ground before the game, but Rovers started as if to dampen the mood, with Craig Hall gathering a Rangi Chase kick, bursting clear and putting in Lovegrove.

With England stand-off Chase pulling the strings, Castleford began to make most of the running, and it was no surprise when they levelled, Chase creating the opening for prop Boyle to score his first Tigers try since returning to the club from Salford.

But Rovers then broke upfield to regain the lead, Travis Burns and Lovegrove going close before Salter plunged over from close range.

The Tigers bounced back to square matters on the stroke of half-time when clever play by Chase and Tansey saw Aussie winger Carney charge over from 35 yards.

Rovers made the ideal start to the second-half by scoring from the kick-off. Mickey Paea punished Castleford's mistake in allowing the ball to bounce by scooping it up to put Salter in for his second touchdown.

The Tigers turned the game on its head by scoring four tries in a blistering 13-minute spell. The scoring burst started when Chase's pass was deflected off Hull KR's David Hodgson into the hands of skipper Shenton, who crossed near the corner.

Prop Walker then forced his way over and Chase's long pass sent in Carney near the corner before Tansey weaved his way through in great style. Omari Caro's 80-yard interception try seven minutes from time came too late to rescue Rovers.

VIEWS FROM THE DRESSING ROOM

Castleford caretaker coach Danny Orr:

"I thought the lads played really well. We were pretty good in the first half and the second half was probably the best we have played this year and we thoroughly deserved our win.

"The lads were in a really confident mood at half-time and although Hull KR scored 10 seconds into the second half, we still had 39 and a half minutes to put it right.

"The lads dealt with it and got on with the game. We played some pretty good stuff in the second half. We held the ball really well and we turned the ball over in the right areas of the field.

"I thought Kirk Dixon and Michael Shenton had outstanding games on our right. They both defended strongly and attacked really well. I also thought Jamie Ellis had one of his better games. He was dangerous with the ball and put in some really good kicks."

Hull KR coach Craig Sandercock told BBC Radio Humberside: "I've never been involved in a game when one side - us - had to defend its line for 80 minutes. The penalty count was 12-3 against us and our ball control wasn't great either.

"We had eight players unavailable, and apart from Jake Webster they were at full strength.

"They had enough ball to win 50 games and it was a real good effort by the boys to keep it as close as we did.

"I'd like to think if the positions had been reversed we'd have won at a canter."

SUNDAY'S TEAMS

Castleford: Tansey, Carney, Shenton, Thompson, Dixon, Chase, Ellis, Mason, Milner, Boyle, Holmes, Hauraki, Massey.

Replacements: Walker, Clark, Huby, Gilmour.

Hull K R: Hall, Caro, Salter, George, D. Hodgson, Burns, Dobson, Walker, Carlile, Beaumont, Lovegrove, J. Hodgson, Mika.

Replacements: Paea, Cox, Green, Griffin.

Referee: Tim Roby (RFL)