Super League: Huddersfield Giants 21-26 Castleford Tigers

Super League leaders Castleford fought back to beat Huddersfield despite Jake Mamo's first-half hat-trick.

Joel Monaghan's try put Tigers ahead, but Mamo went over twice to put Giants in front.

Castleford levelled the scores with tries from Greg Minikin and Greg Eden either side of Mamo's third score.

A Danny Brough penalty and drop-goal restored Giants' lead after Paul McShane's penalty for Tigers, but Jesse Sene-Lefao's late try won it for Cas.

Both sides played out much of the final 10 minutes with 12 men, with Castleford's Jake Webster shown a yellow card for a professional foul, before Brough was also sent to the sin-bin for a tackle below the knees.

Castleford's fight-back came despite missing three players to international duty with England, and ended a four-game losing streak at Huddersfield, who were also without England winger Jermaine McGillvary.

But Tigers will have concerns over half-back Rangi Chase, who was taken off with an apparent shoulder injury late in the first half.

Daryl Powell's side are now three points clear of Hull FC at the top of the Super League table, while Huddersfield stay 10th, three points outside the top eight places.

Huddersfield head coach Rick Stone told BBC Radio Leeds:

"It was a real good performance, a real good effort, I'm very disappointed not to get the points tonight.

"Usually what goes around comes around and if you put that sort of effort in you get a result.

"Tonight it didn't come our way but if we keep preparing ourselves and playing like that, good things will happen for us."

Castleford head coach Daryl Powell told BBC Radio Leeds:

"It was good old-fashioned, heart, guts, determination and finding a way to win when it looks like the opposition's just got a little bit too much for you.

"When you get put under pressure and then you lose Rangi Chase, then it makes it hard work.

"I thought Jake Mamo was superb for them tonight, that's the best I've seen him play and he really caused us a lot of trouble.

"They dug in and came after us, and for us to win that, it's the first tight game we've won this year really so I'm obviously really pleased."

Huddersfield: Mamo; McIntosh, Murphy, Mellor, Ormsby; Brough, Wood; Ikahihifo, Leeming, Wakeman, Roberts, Ferguson, Hinchcliffe.

Replacements: O'Brien, Rapira, Smith, Clough.

Castleford: Eden; Minikin, Webster, Sheehan, Monaghan; Chase, McShane; Lynch, Milner, Millington, Sene-Lefao, Foster, Massey.

Replacements: Holmes, Moors, Cook, Springer.