Castleford 12 Hull 32: Hall propels Hull to vital win over struggling rivals
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Your support makes all the difference.Castleford will be licking their wounds after losing the meeting between Super League's bottom two teams as Hull, inspired by Craig Hall, lifted some of the pressure off coach Peter Sharp.
Two wins from their first 10 matches meant the Black-and-Whites would have slumped to the bottom of Super League with a defeat, leaving the Australian with more questions to answer about his future.
However, young centre Hall scored two tries, with fellow youth product Scott Wheeldon adding another. Motu Tony also grabbed one of his own before denying Kirk Dixon with a last-ditch defensive effort as Castleford attempted to make a comeback.
The former Tigers favourite Jamie Thackray, recently re-signed from Leeds, helped himself to the first try of his second spell at the club.
Having beaten last season's grand finalists, Leeds Rhinos and St Helens, at the Jungle, there were high hopes that Terry Matterson's side could record back-to-back wins for the first time this season and a penalty from Craig Huby put them ahead.
On 24 minutes, though, Hull – missing seven key players – received a dose of luck after Brent Sherwin appeared to be impeded. Hall seized on the ball after Huby tried to offload and ran 80 metres to score.
To concede after enjoying most of the game was a blow and it was compounded when Wheeldon, who said in the build-up that Hull should "start doing the business", crashed over from short range.
Full-back Tony then squirmed through an ailing defence eight seconds before the half-time hooter, with Danny Tickle's third goal of the half making it 18-2 at the break – it was a lead they were not going to squander.
Matt Cook, signed on loan from Bradford, gave his new side hope with a debut try and Peter Lupton went in but prop Thackray had already touched down to kill off their hopes, with Tickle's sixth goal completing Hull's victory.
Castleford: Owen, Donlan, Shenton, Dixon, Wainwright, Dorn, Sherwin, Higgins, Henderson, Huby, Lupton, Guttenbeil, Westerman. Substitutes: Clayton, Cook, Boyle, Moore.
Hull: Tony, Byrne, Hall, Yeaman, Raynor, Washbrook, Berrigan, Dowes, Lee, Cusack, Manu, Tickle, Radford. Substitutes: Houghton, Wheeldon, Burnett, Thackray.
Referee: S Ganson (St Helens).
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