Castleford Beat Giants For Very First Super League Win
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Castleford Tigers (16) 34
Tries: Hood, McIntosh, Lawler, Weaver 2, Golding Goals: Weaver 5
Huddersfield Giants (4) 8
Tries: Gagai, Flanagan
Ashton Golding scored on his Castleford debut against former club Huddersfield Giants to finish Tigers' very first Super League win of the season.
Tries from Liam Hood, Darnell McIntosh and George Lawler had Tigers travelling inside the opening 30 minutes, but Jacob Gagai pulled one back just before the break to make it 16-4.
Tom Weaver then got two crucial second-half shots, either side of George Flanagan's four-pointer, to put Tigers on the way to sealing a very first league win under head coach Ryan Carr.
The biggest celebration of the night was reserved for Golding, as he crossed for a remarkable first try for his brand-new club against the side he left after 5 years at the end of last season.
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The early season kind and misfortune of the West Yorkshire competitors had mirrored one another before their meeting at the OneBore Stadium. Both had been winless, meaningless and struck by injuries.
Captain Alex Mellor became the most recent Tiger to be sidelined after he broke his leg in last week's defeat at Toulouse, while Giants lacked a host of injured regulars themselves, including Liam Sutcliff, Joe Greenwood and Harry Rushton since of prolonged lay-offs.
France international Tanguy Zenon started for injury-hit Huddersfield simply two days after signing up with the club, while there were Tigers debuts for Wigan loanee George Hirst and former Giants pair Jack Ashworth and Golding.
Hood gave the hosts the perfect start, darting from dummy-half to grab his 2nd try of the season after Joe Stimson was reduced close to the line.
Castleford got a been worthy of second through McIntosh, who rushed through a tired out Giants defence that had been pinned back on their line after Taane Milne a reckless penalty for his high hit on Krystian Mapapalangi.
Milne was in the sin-bin when Lawler crashed over under the posts for Castleford's third shot in the 26th minute, but after that it was Huddersfield who completed the half stronger, with Zenon denied by a try-saving deal with from Mikaele Ravalawa before Gagai ultimately responded with a 38th-minute rating.
Huddersfield continued to threaten however were inefficient searching for a way back into the video game before Weaver got on the end of a remarkably weighted grubber kick from Daejarn Asi to edge Castleford 18 points ahead.
Flanagan gave Giants restored hope when he countered right after, but a second from Weaver put the outcome beyond doubt before Golding crashed over to stimulate wild celebrations.
'We play for this winning feeling' - reaction
Castleford Tigers head coach Ryan Carr told BBC Radio Leeds:
"That's what we play for, we play to win and bet this sensation today.
"I'm actually pleased for my group and truly pleased for everyone involved in our club due to the fact that a lot of work has actually entered into getting to this point. And there will continue to be a lot more work.
"But to be able to see them with a smile on their faces, with all the effort they have done because day one of pre-season, is enjoyable.
"But it is one win, we need to keep making sure we carry out regularly weekly now."
"I thought we were rubbish, as plain and easy as that.
"We just robbed ourselves of energy with the amont of dropped balls that we had in that first half. The lads strove, but they were tired.
"I believe they completed 100% [of their sets] in the 2nd half, and we finished around 60-odd. If you simply give the opposition the ball over and over once again, you are going to get the exact same outcome.
"Eventually it simply robs you of energy and you are basically playing on fumes.
"Look, they are running around, scrambling and attempting their hardest but eventually it simply comes back to bite you. We simply require to learn and require to find out fast."
Castleford Tigers: Cini, Ravalawa, Mapapalangi, McIntosh, Qaraqare, Asi, Weaver, Atoni, Hood, Westerman, Lane, Hirst, Stimson.
Replacements: Lawler, Ashworth, Hall, Golding.
Huddersfield Giants: Patolo, Woolford, Rogers, O'Donnell, Billington, Powell, Russell, Lolohea, Halsall, Milne, Gagai, Zenon, Flanagan.
Replacements: Burgess, King, Rush, English.
Referee: Matty Lynn.