Castleford 30 St Helens 24: Westerman is too strong for Saints in the snow

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Luke Dorn's late try gave last-placed Castleford a richly deserved victory in what might prove to be the most dramatic game of the whole Super League season. The scores were tied in the snow at The Jungle when Brent Sherwin lined up a drop goal. It was blocked and deflected but it bounced away from Paul Wellens for Dorn to pounce.

"We've had a bit of luck," the Tigers coach, Terry Matterson, said. "You need that, and not a lot has been falling our way."

Daniel Anderson had no complaints. "They've performed and we haven't," the Saints coach said. "We were very unprofessional in the way we finished the game."

The first half was lit up by the dazzling potential of Castleford's loose forward Joe Westerman, who scored a try and made a series of breaks that should have brought more points.

Michael Wainwright and Peter Lupton squandered opportunities before the 18-year-old took Ryan McGoldrick's pass and opened the scoring after 17 minutes. It was Westerman's run three minutes later that set up the position from which Dorn kicked for Kirk Dixon to leap and touch down the second try.

Cas were unrecognisable from their limp effort at Bradford last week, but a mistake on the restart allowed Saints to come back into the game. Awen Guttenbeil knocked on and James Roby's pick up and incisive run set up Paul Clough.

Saints took an undeserved lead when Maurie Fa'asavalu went over from close range and the Tigers failed to capitalise on another Westerman gallop before Matt Gidley's brilliant pass to Ade Gardner extended Saints' advantage.

Westerman, a candidate for England's June Test against France on this form, was at it again at the start of the second half with a run and pass to set up the even younger Richard Owen. Stephen Tyrer kept Saints' noses in front, but then Cas boldly ran the ball on the last tackle for Owen to feed it back inside and Westerman to score his second.

After Sean Long's penalty Dixon got his second try, again from a kick, this time from Sherwin, and Cas were level.

The balance tilted their way when Fa'asavalu came into a fracas that was nothing to do with him and was sent off for throwing a punch at Craig Huby. It was another indignity for Saints who have now lost as many games as they have won.

Castleford: McGoldrick; Owen, Clayton, Dixon, Wainwright; Dorn, Sherwin; Higgins, Henderson, Huby, Guttenbeil, Lupton, Westerman. Substitutes used: Thackeray, Corkidas, Boyle, Fletcher.

St Helens: Wellens; Gardner, Gidley, Tyrer, Meli; Pryce, Long; Frodsham, Roby, Cayless, Clough, Wilkin, Flannery. Substitutes used: Bennett, Fa'asavalu, Eastmond, Dean.

Referee: P Bentham (Warrington).