Tigers back in the eight
Castleford moved back into the top eight play-off places after a gutsy win over Harlequins at the Jungle.
Last Updated: 22/08/10 5:48pm
Castleford moved back into the top eight play-off places after a gutsy win over Harlequins at the Jungle.
David Howell put the visitors ahead but the Tigers came roaring back with scores from Ryan McGoldrick, Michael Shenton and Ryan Hudson before the interval.
Kirk Dixon, Craig Huby, Adam Milner and Mitchell Sargent added further tries for Cas to complete a crucial victory.
Despite being forced to drop out from beneath their own sticks three times in the opening 10 minutes, it was Quins who went ahead.
Some short, sharp passing down the right gave Luke Gale the time and space to step back and chip over the bar and into the in-goal area.
The ball looked as though it would go dead, but Howell reacted first to throw himself on the loose ball and Purdham added the extras from under the posts.
The hosts pulled level with a converted score from McGoldrick in the 17th minute.
Rangi Chase provided the initial momentum, stepping through the Quins defence, before Hudson scooped the ball from dummy-half and slotted a grubber kick in behind the visiting defence for McGoldrick, who dived past a couple of defenders to dot down.
Harlequins were then resoundingly punished after Purdham was penalised for interfering at the play-the-ball, a quick tap and fast hands seeing England centre Shenton over in the corner.
After Brett Ferres was held up on the left, Chase engineered a chance for Stuart Jones, who was tackled with his nose on the whitewash on the right.
Quick-thinking
However, from that play-the-ball, the quick-thinking Hudson went over from dummy-half for a 29th-minute try which was converted by Westerman.
Castleford pulled further ahead just three minutes into the second half, Danny Orr coughing up possession before Shenton drew the defender and fed Dixon in the corner.
Two minutes later, Will Sharp latched on to Chase's kick on the last pass and raced 60 metres, coasting past McGoldrick.
Purdham added the goal but straight from the restart Louis McCarthy-Scarsbrook knocked-on, handing the initiative back to the Tigers.
Huby punished that mistake in the 47th minute, powering his way over on the first drive, with Westerman converting.
Teenage hooker Milner went through a weak tackle from Oliver Wilkes from dummy-half just shy of the hour mark.
Nerves
Youngster Jamie O'Callaghan then crossed for the Quins from Tony Clubb's offload and Gale went over after combining with Luke Dorn, but Sargent settled any Cas nerves with a try five minutes from time, latching on to Chase's pacey break.
Westerman made it six from seven conversion attempts with the boot, before Dorn's late consolation for the visitors.
The victory means Castleford go above Crusaders in the final play-off berth on points difference, with one round of the regular season remaining.
