RUGBY LEAGUE

TIGERS CLAW THEIR WAY TO VICTORY

VICTORY: Skipper Paul Deacon

Monday July 6,2009

By Martin Richards

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BRADFORD skipper Paul Deacon saw his conversion drift wide in the dying seconds as Castleford edged a madcap game where both sets of defences went missing .

Tigers centre Dean Widders, normally a second row, scored an 80-metre interception try from Terry Newton’s risky pass with seven minutes left, only for Dave Halley to set up Ben Jeffries’ second score of the afternoon after a majestic break down the right.

But Deacon, who had earlier taken a heavy knock in a tackle by Ryan McGoldrick, saw his kick drift wide as Castleford moved into ninth place on the back of their seventh win on the road. “I was over it by the time I took the kick. It was no excuse,” said scrum-half Deacon.

Both sides scored seven tries and Tigers coach Terry Matterson admitted: “It was the most bizarre game I have ever been involved in. But we’ve been in a lot of close games this season and not found a way to win, this time we did.

“We obviously still have issues with our defence, but I’m just glad of the points. ” This was the Bulls’ 12th defeats in 18 games and their coach Steve McNamara conceded: “We have left ourselves with a huge mountain to climb.

“Both sides came up with unbelievable errors . In the position we were at half-time [22-12 ahead] we should have gone on but we didn’t and paid a massive price.”

The Tigers took a sixth-minute lead when Michael Shenton out-muscled Semi Tadulala after a kick from Rangi Chase. But when Jordan Thompson put a foot in touch at the restart Tadulala made amends by finishing off a slick left-wing move.

The Tigers extended their lead when McGoldrick put Chase under the posts after 19 minutes, only to allow the Bulls to pull out in front by half-time after tries from Halley, Nick Scruton and Michael Worrincy.

Tadulala was at fault twice more, after another kick to allow Thompson his first Castleford try, and then missing a tackle to allow Shenton his second of the day, which put Tigers back in front.

Castleford stretched their lead when Chase went through a Deacon tackle and then Westerman scored the Tigers’ fourth in 10 minutes. But Sam Burgess at last came into the action when he burst onto Deacon’s pass to score on 59 minutes before Newton put Jeffries over to level it.