Hull FC 12 Castleford Tigers 23 – Cas’ remain in play-off hunt after fourth straight win
Richardson scored 11 points from a try, drop goal, two conversions and a penalty as Tigers overcame considerable adversity to record a fourth successive victory.
That lifted them to sixth in the Betfred Super League table and kept their hopes of qualification for the play-offs very much alive.
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Hide AdCastleford lost Man of Steel Paul McShane to an abdominal muscle injury inside the opening 10 minutes and were reduced to 12 men for a spell in the first half when Liam Watts was sin-binned against his former club.
Even so, the visitors went in at the interval with a 13-6 lead and they were much the better team in the second period.
Hull had lengthy spells of pressure in the opening 40, but their execution was poor and, though the hosts defended well after the break, Castleford were worthy victors.
Jordan Turner, recruited by Tigers from Huddersfield Giants, has proved to be one of the signings of the season and scored both their first-half tries.
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Hide AdThe first came after three minutes when he ran onto McShane’s pass at pace close to the line.
McShane went off soon afterwards and Hull scored on their first serious attack, almost immediately.
The try was brilliantly created by Jake Connor, who delayed his pass to Adam Swift and the winger touched down one-handed at the corner.
That was as good as it got for Hull before the interval as, despite dominating the territory, they went close to a second try only once, when Manu Ma’u was pulled down just short of the line by Peter Mata’utia.
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Hide AdWatts was shown a yellow card for a trip on Jordan Lane, but Castleford managed that spell in good style, regaining the lead while the number eight was off the field and then increasing it within moments of his return.
Hull’s decision not to take the two from the penalty following the yellow card proved costly, the hosts going behind through some quick thinking by Richardson, who banged over a snap drop goal 10 minutes before half-time.
Watts was back into the action four minutes before the break and 60 seconds later his offload to Richardson deep in Tigers’ territory began a flowing move which also involved Niall Evalds and Greg Eden before Turner took the final pass and rounded Connor for a terrific try.
Watts and Evalds were both held up over Hull’s line early in the second half as the home team made three successive errors inside their own 10.
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Hide AdThat was impressive defence from the black and whites, but weight of pressure told around the hour-mark.
Castleford initially extended their lead through a penalty from Richardson - to add to his two first-half conversions - following interference on Turner.
A penalty and six-again in the next set put Hull back under pressure and Richardson was again the man to take advantage, going over in the corner for an unconverted try from Adam Milner’s pass.
It was a long road back for Hull, but they quickly pulled a try back through Connor off a neat offload by Cameron Scott, after good build-up play by Marc Sneyd, who added his second conversion.
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Hide AdBut Evalds sealed the win for Tigers with a well-taken solo try five minutes from time and the game finished 12 versus 12 when Castleford’s George Griffin and opponent Scott Taylor were sin-binned following a skirmish in the final moments.
Hull FC: Connor, Swift, Scott, Tuimavave, Faraimo, McNamara, Sneyd, Sao, Houghton, Taylor, Ma’u, Savelio, Lane. Substitutes: Fonua, Satae, Johnstone, Fash.
Castleford Tigers: Evalds, Olpherts, Mata’utia, Turner, Eden, Richardson, O’Brien, Griffin, McShane, Smith, Foster, Blair, Massey. Substitutes: Watts, Holmes, Milner, Matagi,
Referee: Ben Thaler (Wakefield).
Attendance: 8,121.
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