Castleford (10) 20
Tries: Wainwright, Ainscough 3 Goals: Westerman 2
Hull KR (12) 24
Tries: Murrell, Dobson, Cockayne, Watts Goals: Dobson 4

Shaun Ainscough ran in three tries on his Cas debut but ended on losing side

Liam Watts' controversial first-ever Super League try ruined Shaun Ainscough's Castleford debut as Hull KR came from behind for a dramatic win.

Cas's new Wigan loan man Ainscough looked to have won it for his new team with a stunning debut hat-trick.

But a Michael Dobson-inspired Rovers showed great spirit at The Jungle, twice battling back into the game.

And, with eight minutes left, despite appearing to drop the ball over the line, Watts' winning try was awarded.

The video verdict ensured a third successive defeat for the luckless Tigers.

And it was particularly hard on 20-year-old Ainscough in his first appearance after signing on a month's loan as a short-term replacement for broken-leg victim Richard Owen.

Ainscough, who shot to fame with 17 tries in just 12 appearances for home-town team Wigan (including one on his debut against Cas this time a year ago), did not take long to make his mark.

For the second time in successive home games, Cas lost after sauntering into a 10-0 lead inside the first 10 minutes, as Ainscough supplemented Michael Wainwright's third minute opener to add one of his own.

He then added two more inside 10 minutes at the start of the second half, fed by passes from full-back Ryan McGoldrick and centre James Evans.

And, although he had another disallowed by the video referee just before half time after slow-motion replays revealed a knock-on, at 20-12, that ought to have been enough to guarantee victory.

But, with Joe Westerman having missed two of his four conversion attempts, Rovers were still in it.

And the visitors, who had fought back to lead 12-10 at half-time thanks to tries from Scott Murrell and Dobson, rallied superbly to snatch the points with tries in the last 16 minutes from Ben Cockayne and teenage prop Watts.

Rovers cut the deficit to just two points when Cockayne pounced on a tricky Dobson grubber kick.

And, in a thrilling finish, Watts struck for the winning try when he fly-hacked following another Dobson grubber and, although dropping the ball forward in the air over the line, was considered by the video referee to have put sufficient downward pressure on the ball with one hand to be awarded the try.

Castleford coach Terry Matterson said: "There were at least three controversial calls and we didn't get any of them.

"Ainscough should have been given a benefit-of-the-doubt try.

"But it was a real good debut from him. He knows his way to the tryline.

"It was a carbon copy of the Warrington game. We didn't have enough patience."

Hull KR coach Justin Morgan said:

"I'm really happy for Liam because we contemplated taking him off, but we thought it would be great for his education to finish a game off under extreme pressure and he came up trumps.

"I thought the boys showed a great deal of grit and determination. There are still a great deal of faults in our game but it's very difficult to coach character and grit.

"I have said before this is a special group of people and they showed tonight why I'm so proud of them."

Castleford: McGoldrick, Ainscough, Shenton, Evans, Wainwright, Chase, Sherwin, Sargent, Hudson, Jackson, Ferres, Snitch, Westerman.
Replacements: Huby, Jones, Higgins, Thompson.

Hull KR: Briscoe, Fox, Welham, Webster, Cockayne, I'Anson, Dobson, Lovegrove, Murrell, Clinton, Newton, Cook, Vella.
Replacements: Fisher, Watts, Netherton, Wheeldon.

Referee: P Bentham (Warrington).

Attendance: 6,855.

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