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Rugby League

Wakefield win sends Castleford down

17/09/2006

Castleford Tigers have been relegated from the Super League after a 29-17 defeat to Wakefield Wildcats.

With Catalan Dragons unable to face the drop as they only entered the league this year, either the Tigers or the Wildcats would see their Super League life ended.

Castleford began the day one point ahead of Wakefield, knowing if they avoided defeat they would stay up, but a partisan crowd at Belle Vue roared the Wildcats to victory, condemning the Tigers to relegation.

"We have worked really hard for two months and the players responded absolutely sensationally," Wakefield coach John Kerr said.

"We expected Castleford to come out and put their foot on the throttle but we just said if we play through it we would come through in the end, and so it proved."

The visitors began the game brighter and after Jamie Rooney had kicked a penalty for Wakefield, they responded with two tries from Willie Manu and Adam Fletcher and a drop goal from Danny Brough.

However, in a frantic last ten minutes of the first half, which also saw Wakefield's full-back Colum Halpenny stretchered off in a neck brace after a collision with Gray Viane, the home side grabbed a 14-11 lead thanks to tries from James Evans and Jason Demetriou.

After the break, the two captains exchanged scores as first Castleford's Danny Nutley went over to retake the lead, only to see that advantage wiped out by opposite number Monty Betham's try.

However, the pivotal moment came in the 64th minute as Kevin Henderson scored for Wakefield and the Tigers never came back.

A drop goal from Rooney helped extend the lead before Evans' second try of the night rounded off the night for Wakefield.

"There was no lack of effort but our execution was poor," Castleford coach Terry Matterson said.

"We prepared well and got ourselves in a great position but there were some uncharacteristic mistakes and decisions."

There was a sense of deja vu for the Tigers as it was Wakefield who sent them down two years ago.

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