Challenge Cup: Hull KR beat Castleford Tigers 34-10 to reach semi-finals

Hull KR's Elliot Minchella scores his second try against Castleford

Elliot Minchella scored two early tries to help send Hull KR to their first Challenge Cup semi-final in seven years with victory against Castleford Tigers.

Lachlan Coote converted both of Minchella's efforts before Greg Eden responded with a brace of tries of his own to make it 12-10 at the break.

Ryan Hall added Rovers' third try early in a physically demanding second half.

Rowan Milnes, Sam Wood and Jordan Abdull tries then completed the win against last season's beaten finalists.

The Robins are the first side into the semi-final draw, having last reached the final four of the competition in 2015 when they went on to lose the Wembley decider 50-0 to Leeds Rhinos.

Minchella twice ran on to grubber kicks from Milnes to score before the break, with his second coming after the forward had another effort ruled out for a knock-on over the line.

Kenny Edwards then sent Eden over in the corner in the 26th minute, with the winger touching down again after linking up with Jordan Turner soon after.

In a frantic start to the second half the hosts were temporarily without Greg Richards and Abdull because of head injury assessments and then lost Mikey Lewis with an ankle problem.

The Robins managed to reshuffle and survived a spell of pressure before Hall added a third try.

Castleford then lost Turner to an arm injury before Milnes added a decisive fourth score and Wood and Abdull blew the scoreline out late on.

Hull KR head coach Tony Smith told BBC Radio Humberside:

"It was a good effort by the boys, they got their just rewards and we were made to work hard for it.

"I was pleased with the way we started and the way we finished, but there were bits in the middle that were a bit scrappy.

"The effort across the board pleased me the most. We showed some grit and graft and some composure.

"I don't care who we get in the semi-finals. It will be great being there and when you get to this part of the Challenge Cup anything can happen."

Castleford head coach Lee Radford told BBC Radio Leeds:

"There are no positives. We were awful in the first half, 41% of our possession was in our own 30 coming off our own try line.

"I thought once we took a breath at half-time we could make some changes to our mindset but in the first three sets after half-time there was error, forced error and error.

"We didn't give ourselves the opportunity. You get one evening to get it right in the Challenge Cup and we were as bad as I've seen us with the ball."

Hull KR: Coote, Keinhorst, Wood, Kenny-Dowall, Hall, Lewis, Milnes, Maher, Parcell, King, Halton, Linnett, Minchella.

Interchanges: Abdull, Storton, Litten, Richards.

Castleford: Evalds, Eden, Turner, Mamo, Faraimo, Trueman, O'Brien, Westerman, Edwards, Griffin, Massey, McShane, Smith.

Interchanges: Watts, Milner, Fonua, Matagi.

Referee: R. Hicks.