23 March 2024 , 18:12
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Relieved Craig Lingard survived a Challenge Cup scare to get his first win as Castleford boss but some players were left shaking their heads.
The Super League club twice came from behind to beat Championship part-timers Batley and secure a place in Monday’s quarter-final draw. Innes Senior scored two tries on his 100th career appearance and England hooker Paul McShane also impressed in his first game of the season after injury. But scrappy Castleford struggled at times going up Batley’s famous sloping pitch into a fierce wind.
Lingard is a legend at Bulldogs having scored 142 tries in 205 games for them and leading them to Wembley in the 1895 Cup final last year before taking on the Castleford gig. He’s even got a terrace named after him. But after his first return to Mount Pleasant, and five straight Super League losses, Lingard said: “I was really disappointed with some aspects.
“We’d prepped Batley. I know them all too well and knew what they were going to do when they got some good ball. I’m really disappointed we conceded the tries we did because we’d prepped it all week. I’ve been here long enough as a player and coach to know what that hill can do. It’s more mental than anything.
“Although some of our players have just said they wouldn’t play here for a golden pig if they had to do it every week on that hill! It’s good to get that first win, though, and to get out of that losing habit. We’ll take that into Leeds on Thursday.”
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Yet they needed winger Senior’s first try on the interval hooter just to go in to the break level at 14-14. Confident Batley had thrived ploughing down the slope. Luke Manning cut a brilliant line to charge over in the ninth minute. And things got worse when the visitors’ short drop-out failed to go 10m. Dave Gibbons slotted the penalty to add to his earlier conversion for an 8-0 lead.
Castleford Tigers' Joe Westerman is tackled by Adam Gledhill (left) and Batley Bulldogs' Brandon Moore during the Betfred Challenge Cup match (PA) (PA)Tigers fans started ironically singing “We’ve got the ball” when they finally gained some possession. But they did plenty with it, scoring back-to-back tries via Josh Simm and Rowan Milnes, McShane converting to put them 10-8 ahead in the 25th minute. But Batley hit straight back, Brandon Moore burrowing through some atrocious goalline defence to score on his 200th career appearance.
However, giant prop Albert Vete made a huge contribution off the bench to get Tigers moving again, ending with Senior’s score. Co-captain McShane forced his way over in the 43rd minute, improving his own effort. Tigers saw Alex Mellor sin-binned for a late hit nine minutes later. But, crucially, the hosts couldn’t capitalise against the 12 men.
Instead, Castleford added to their lead when Jacob Miller smuggled over. They lost ex-Batley full-back Luke Hooley to a suspected dislocated shoulder but Senior claimed his second try in the 71st minute to make sure. Bulldogs boss Mark Moxon said: “The effort was fantastic. We could have taken some of those chances in the second half but overall it was a massive effort from the lads.”