Castleford Tigers u19s 24 Warrington Wolves u19s 34

WARRINGTON Wolves continued their fine run of form with another victory in the Under 19s Academy on Saturday.

Tries from Jack Johnson, David Foggin-Johnston, Morgan Smith, Charlie Phythian, two, Daniel Hirst and Sam Wilde secured the visitors victory against Castleford Tigers at The Mend-A-Hose Jungle.

The lead changed hands no fewer than six times during a pulsating game with both sides contributing fully, but it was Wolves who finished the stronger to come out on top.

Castleford opened the scoring in the fifth minute when a kick on the last tackle by Wolves was caught on his own twenty metre line by centre Kieran Gill.

He raced 80 metres, outpacing the chasing defenders, to score between the posts. Loose forward Brandon Westerman converted.

Three minutes later the Tigers sent the ball out wide on the last tackle to winger Declan Sheehan and his kick ahead was picked up by Gill, who raced over wide out on the left.

Just after the midway point of the half Wolves got on the scoreboard when the pressure from forcing two goal line drop outs paid off.

Full back Johnson linked into the line and rounded the cover to score on the right, while six minutes later stand off Smith put up a high kick to the corner on the last tackle and winger Foggin-Johnston leapt out-jumped his opposite number for a try wide out on the left.

Wolves moved ahead for the first time when a clever grubber kick into the in-goal area on the last tackle by scrum half Brad Stanway was weighted perfectly for Smith to pounce and score at the side of the posts.

He converted himself but then three minutes before the break Tigers scrum half Tom Holmes managed to force his way over on the left, winger Ashley Robson converted to give his side a slender 16-14 half time advantage.

Four minutes into the second half Wolves forced another goal-line drop out and from this the ball was swept along the line to centre Phythian, who managed to score in the left corner.

Seven minutes later a quick play the ball by the Tigers saw hooker Brandon Moore scoot from dummy half and he threw out a long ball that centre Brandon Pickup picked up to go in at the right corner.

The home side moved six points clear on 57 minutes when some weak Wolves tackling was punished by Robson, who brushed off three defenders to race over in the right corner.

Wolves responded 10 minutes later when hooker Hirst burrowed over from dummy half on the left after second row Wilde had been held just short.

Smith converted to level the scores at 24-24.

Wolves had a scrum five minutes from time on their own 30 metre line and the ball was sent out to Phythian, who broke through the line and outpaced the chasing defenders on a 70-metre run to score in the left corner.

Then, in the final minute, Hirst found Wilde at speed to power over at the side of the posts from close range. Smith added the conversion to complete a thrilling 34-24 win.