Wakefield Trinity Ladies’ penultimate game of the season ended in defeat as Castleford Tigers Women too a 36-8 victory at the Mend-A Hose Jungle.
The Tigers opened the scorning early in the second half, as they took a quickfire 12-0 lead within the first 12 minutes.
Trinity’s Olivia Lancaster broke the Wakefield duck just minutes later as she scored a length of the field try before the interval.
The away side wasn’t able to make the momentum pay going into the second period as Castleford scored five second-half tries to take the victory.
Following a defeat last time out against Leigh Miners, head coach Jason Talbot made a few changes to the Trinity pack before our trip to the Jungle.
Olivia Lancaster and Ebony Hardcastle received their first starts of the season, while Emilia Povall-Clarke moved to loose forward.
However, it was the home side who started the bright and took a two-score lead within the first 12 minutes. Kayleigh Waller touched down before a kick on the last deflected from a Wakefield defender’s leg, allowing Chloe Smith to score.
Down, but by no means out, Wakefield rallied, and it came through one of our academy graduates.
Following a neat passage of play over to the left, the ball eventually fell at the hands of Olivia Lancaster, who darted through the Castleford defence on halfway to gallop her way to the whitewash. With just grass in front of her and the Castleford players in her wake, Lancaster touched down to reduce the deficit in the 22nd minute.
As with any derby day fixture, tensions were running high, with both Castleford and Wakefield players playing to the occasion, culminating in a yellow card for a Tigers’ player just before the interval for a high shot.
Playing against 12 for the remainder of the half, Wakefield looked to push on, Sophia Liu broke the Castleford defence, once again, as she made a dart from dummy-half before Amy Bennett made good metres with a great take and powerful line at the Castleford defence.
With the wind in their sails, the half-time whistle came at the wrong time for Trinity, and it was the home side who started the second 40 brighter.
Waller added her second of the afternoon before Martha Brown powered her way to the line following a powerful run at the Wakefield defence.
That never-say-die attitude in the Trinity ranks did offer the away side some hope, however, as we looked to claw our way back into the contest.
In between the two Tigers’ efforts, Millen Downs’ power injected some fresh hope for Trinity. Following back-to-back penalties for the visitors, Downs came onto a short pass to push her way through the Castleford defence and touch down.
Unfortunately, that spark of hope was not enough, as the home side took the game in the end. Tries from Tally Bryer, Grace Dyke and a second for Smith wrapped the game up for the home side as they took a 36-8 win.
Wakefield Trinity Ladies’ final game of the season will take place next Sunday against Featherstone Rovers at Sharlston Rovers ARLFC.