Cas-trated
Super Hornets kick Castleford where it hurts
David Woods left Spotland having learned some very important Rugby League lessons. 1: If your team don't have the balls for it, they'll lose; 2) Don't put your team out in black on the hottest day of the year; 3) Don't underestimate Rochdale Hornets and 4) Don't f*ck with Bobbie Goulding.

Supported by a gargantuan effort from his team, the Bobster turned in a virtuoso performance to send Castleford home pointless for the first time this season - and how the Hornets faithful loved every second.

Hornets were first on the scoreboard after just five minutes. Radney Bowker's teasing grubber behind dodgy winger Michael Shenton was snaffled by Chris Campbell. Goulding added the extras from the touchline.

Castleford woke from their slumber and on ten minutes Haughey crashed through a flailing defence. Huby added the extras.

On Hornets next foray into Cas territory Goulding took a step back at first receiver and slotted a cool 30 metre drop goal to regain the lead. In Hornetsian fashion, newly arrived sub. Rob ball fumbled the kick-off and and Reid scored from the posession. Huby hoofed the conversion attempt into the tea-bar.

In sweltering conditions, both teams struggled to break down the opposition defence; the game locked in an arm-wrestle. Goulding broke the deadlock on 25 minutes with a penalty for a high tackle from Castleford's resident nutter Steve Crouch; and when the whole of the Tigers team wandered offside at the resulting kick-off, Goulding banged over the penalty from half-way for good measure. Hornets in front 11-10.

The wrangle continued - and on 35 minutes, tempers boiled over. A bit of handbags at a scrum, then fat Joe Brand lookalike Frank Watene spitting the dummy at a play the ball and punching Dave Cunliffe's lights out. Watene got ten minutes, Cas got the penalty. I don't know either...

With the last play of the half, Bobbie pulled a superb 40-20 from the armoury, but the hooter sounded before the scrum could form. Hornets in front at the break and Castleford, frankly, looking knackered.

However, it was the Tigers who started the second half the sharper, working the ball well in traffic at cose range for Davis to score. With the extras, Cas found themselves 11-16 up.

Hornets had buggered about for long enough. Led by Gareth Price, the Hornets pack bludgeoned into the Castleford defence, driving them back downfield; Sam Butterworth stripped ready to come on as substitute. Hornets worked the ball into the Tigers' 30m zone; Sam Butterworth jogged onto the field. Gorski broke the Cas line, found Price in support; Sam Butterworth took his place in the line. Goulding chipped an inch-perfect bomb towards rag-handed Shenton, Chris Campbell swiped it from his fingertips, drew fullback Platt and slipped the ball inside to Sam Butterworth who scored with his first touch less than a minute after shedding his training top. Terrific stuff. Bobbie banged over the conversion from wide out and Hornets were in front 17-16 with 29 minutes remaining.

Castleford looked shot. Hornets continued to pin the Tigers deep in their own half. First a carbon-copy bomb towards shaky Shenton saw Chris Campbell's effort struck off by the officials; then a booming 40-20 from Dave Cunliffe brought the main stand to its feet, only for Hornets to fumble the resulting posession. Then Dave McConnell bought some breathing time as he drilled the ball deep into touch.

Cas on the other hand were reduced to five drives and a big impotent hoof into the Pearl Street end. Hornets fans sang 'Give us the ball, you're boring' - and they were right.

A brief altercation between Goulding and Bird saw both take a ten minute breather; and Hornets continued to stand resolute in the face of Castleford's blunt instrument tactics.

Try as they might, Castleford couldn't muster the wherewithal to open up the Hornets defence. And when they turned over possession with half a minute to go, Hornets gleefully took their tackles and ran down the clock.

The final hooter signalled the start of the celebrations. Hornets - team and fans alike - savoured the moment; Castleford slumped shattered on the Spotland turf.

Bobbie Goulding's man of the match performance was marred by a ruptured bicep that could well signal the end of his playing career, but he found words of praise for his side's effort: "I want to say a big thank you to our forwards. It doesn't matter whhat the outcome is, if our players give 100% I can't ask for any more - and that's what they did."

He also recognised the contribution of the Hornets faithful: "I want to praise our supporters. We may not have the most in the league, buut they certainnly now how to make a noise."

Indeed, Castleford were outplayed, out-thought, out-muscled, out-sung and ultimately outclassed on a great day, not only for Rochdale Hornets, but also for National League 1. Castleford's veneer of invincibility has been shattered and every side in the division can take heart from this result.

Through sheer bloody-minded guts and effort, Hornets have proved that full-time status means nothing when your lads have something bigger beating under the badge.

So, while our lads are pulling their battered bodies out of bed for a day at work today, Castleford will be doing a bit of light swimming and watching the video. I hope they enjoy it as much as we did - they've a lot to learn.