Castleford stun St Helens to end losing run

Betfred Super League

St Helens (4) 6

Try: Royle Goal: Percival

Castleford (0) 8

Try: Senior Goals: Milnes 2

Out-of-form Castleford Tigers ended a three-game losing Super League run to stun St Helens at the Totally Wicked Stadium.

Just as the first half looked to be ending scoreless, Sam Royle crossed for Saints on the verge of half-time and Mark Percival made it 6-0 after the break with a penalty.

Innes Senior hit back for the visitors with a try and Rowan Milnes' penalty levelled for Cas as an edgy game ticked towards full-time.

Milnes hit the target again for a swift two points after Saints were held up for an offside play to make it 8-6 - the final score of the game.

Milnes' kicking proved decisive as Saints could not mount a dramatic late charge to avoid defeat against their lowly opponents.

St Helens have now lost two Super League games in a row, having been beaten by Salford Red Devils in June

Cas came into the game off the back of three consecutive losses prior to last week's international break - first against Leeds, then Wigan and finally Hull KR.

Despite the results, Craig Lingard's side had played well in all three and had been particularly unlucky to come way with defeat by narrow two and one-point margins against Wigan and Hull KR respectively.

In a subdued and tight first half, it was Saints who finally got on the board as Royle crashed over the line to score his first senior try for the club.

Percival missed the conversion, however, keeping the game within reach of the visitors heading into the second half.

Percival eventually kicked Saints a further two points ahead by virtue of a penalty goal which arrived shortly before Senior's response for Cas.

Cain Robb and George Lawler linked up well down the left to send Senior through to dive in at the corner but St Helens maintained a slim two-point lead when Milnes failed to convert.

However, Milnes successfully kicked two penalties to edge Cas ahead and they duly guarded their slim lead to consign Saints to two defeats from two in Super League, after they lost to Salford in June.

St Helens: Welsby; Blake, Davies, Percival, Ritson; Lomax, Dodd; Delaney, Mbye, Lees, Sironen, Royle, Bell.

Interchanges: Paasi, Burns, Vaughan, Stephens.

Castleford: Hoy; Qareqare, Hall, Mellor, I Senior; Milnes, Miller; Griffin, Horne, Mustapha, Lawler, El-Zakhem, Westerman.

Interchanges: Watts, Robb, Hill, English.

Referee: Tom Grant.