Off-key Wigan go top with battling win at Castleford

Betfred Super League

Castleford (4) 8

Tries: Hoy Goals: Milnes 2

Wigan (4) 10

Tries: Marshall 2 Goals: Smith

Wigan Warriors moved top of Super League and avoided a Challenge Cup final hangover as they survived a thrilling comeback from Castleford Tigers.

Matt Peet's side went into the game off the back of a comfortable win against Warrington at Wembley last weekend, but they were second best to Castleford for much of Friday's encounter.

Liam Marshall went over to sent the visitors ahead but Tigers hit back before half-time courtesy of a long-range run-in from Tex Hoy.

Rowan Milnes kicked a pair of penalties to give the hosts a four-point lead after an hour, but Marshall profited from a deflected offload to pull the teams level before Harry Smith slotted a decisive penalty.

Liam Marshall (centre) has scored 21 tries in all competitions for Wigan Warriors this season

The win lifts Wigan into top spot at the expense of St Helens who take on London Broncos on Sunday, while Castleford slipped to a 10th league defeat of the season.

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Soon after he had broken the deadlock with seven minutes gone, Marshall touched down again for Wigan, but it was chalked off for a knock-on.

Hoy's try, just past the half-hour mark, was against the run of play and came from deep in Castleford's own half.

The full-back picked the ball up and showed great speed to exploit a gap in the Wigan defence, dummying Bevan French along the way before crossing.

Castleford raced out of the blocks after the break and edged ahead courtesy of Milnes' penalty, but they were reduced to 12 men soon after.

Cain Robb was sent to the bin for a high tackle on Wigan's Abbas Miski but Cas added to their lead despite the numerical disadvantage, with Milnes on target from long range.

The lead did not last long, however, as Jake Wardle's last-ditch offload was deflected by Milnes into the path of Marshall who reacted quickly to dot down.

Smith missed the conversion attempt with the match still finely poised at 8-8 but he hit the target with a penalty moments later to edge Wigan in front.

It proved decisive and, despite Castleford's best efforts in the closing stages, they could not breach the Wigan backline to register what would have been a well-deserved victory.

Castleford head coach Craig Lingard:

"(I'm) Disappointed that we didn't win, but really proud of our efforts.

"One thing we talked about this week - we held our mid-season review - was trying to be a team that won't go away.

"Too many times this season we've been too easy to get on top of. When it's got into a set-for-set arm wrestle, we've always been the ones to crack first.

"So in that respect I'm really pleased and proud of the boys, but we can't help think it's an opportunity missed to get two points on the board."

Wigan head coach Matt Peet:

"Castleford played really well. They were motivated, energised. You could see they freshened up last week, trained hard and were prepared.

"I thought they gave us a hell of a game. I don't think last week comes into it at all. We were prepared and ready to go.

"We've not trained much this week for obvious reasons. We probably had 40 minutes on the field this week, but we train all year together.

"The fact is we came to a tough place on a tough night and we got the win."

Castleford: Hoy; Qareqare, Hall, Wood, I Senior; Milnes, Miller; Griffin, Horne, Watts, Mellor, El-Zakhem, Hill.

Interchanges: Putt, Namo, Robb, English.

Wigan: French; Miski, Eckersley, Wardle, Marshall; Hampshire, Smith; Cooper, O'Neill, Thompson, Walters, Farrell, Ellis.

Interchanges: Byrne, Mago, Leeming, Hill.

Referee: Ben Thaler.