WAKEFIELD 12, CASTLEFORD 20

Castleford arrested a poor run against near-neighbours Wakefield with a hard-fought derby-day win at Belle Vue.

The Tigers, who lost the same fixture earlier in the season, had won just one of their last 11 games against their local rivals until today - that one win since 2003 coming at Belle Vue last year.

And though both sides managed two scores each - two-try efforts from Dean Widders and Danny Brough - a penalty in the first half and three after the interval from Joe Westerman allowed the Tigers to take the local bragging rights away with them.

Wakefield recalled Brad Drew after he recovered from a rib injury in time, while James Stosic made the bench despite fracturing his eye socket.

For Castleford Brett Ferres served a one-game ban, while Brent Sherwin and Sione Faumuina were sidelined with foot and Achilles injuries respectively.

It took just 67 seconds for the first score to arrive and it was the result of some fine running from Rangi Chase.

Wakefield gave a penalty away deep in the Tigers half and Chase punted the ball 40 metres down field. And as they worked the ball along the line in the following set the Castleford stand-off showed great balance and agility in coasting through a gaping hole in the Wildcats defence.

With Widders on his shoulder a simple pass saw the emergency back, who was playing in the centre, race between the sticks completely unopposed.

Westerman added the extras to cap a fine start for the away side whose pack were clearly dominating.

As a result Wakefield, who continually came up with errors early in their tackle count, struggled to force back the away side's defensive line in the opening stages.

The pace gradually quickened and a try and conversion from Brough tied the game up in the 17th minute.

Following a penalty for a high tackle on prop Michael Korkidas the Wakefield scrum-half, who for the first time took the line on rather than throw a speculative long pass, stepped his way through an alarming gap in the Castleford defence.

From just 10 metres out he showed a great turn of pace and did well to wrong-foot Castleford full-back Richard Owen before diving over.

Chase could have restored the visitors' lead moments later but he spilled the ball under the challenge of Ricky Bibey as he stretched for the line.

But a penalty for ill-discipline on Wakefield's part four minutes before the half-time siren gave Westerman the chance to put the Tigers back in front with the boot. And he did so with ease from a central position.

And just 76 seconds into the second period Widders crossed for his second of the afternoon.

Again Chase was the provider with another quality pass but it was a catalogue of errors which led to the score with both Castleford's James Evans and Wakefield's Sean Gleeson knocking on in the build-up.

Westerman sent over the resulting conversion and then slotted a penalty between the posts after Wildcats full-back Matt Blaymire was penalised.

Brough once again mustered a response in the 53rd minute when, following good running from the Wildcats pack, he drove at the defence, showed the ball wide and then crashed over the line.

He tagged on the conversion to reduce the gap to just four points but Westerman made it five from five with another penalty in what was a superb display of kicking.

Chase missed a late drop goal as he looked to kill the game off but it mattered not as Westerman wrapped things up with another penalty at the death.

Wakefield (6) 12 Tries: Brough 2. Goals: Brough 2.

Castleford (8) 20 Tries: Widders 2. Goals: Westerman 6.

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