Old Grovians 15 Castleford 22

Old Grovians’ injury list before this match looked like it had come from a post-watershed episode of Casualty.

“We have two fractured eye sockets, a broken leg, a fractured leg and a broken thumb, and these are long-term injuries,” said their director of rugby Martin Whitcombe.

And after 48 minutes on Saturday, it seemed as if the lively Ricky Hopkinson would join the wounded as he lay motionless on the floor on the far side of the Elm Tree Farm pitch after copping an accidental blow to the side of the head.

Several minutes later, however, the right winger, although groggy, was helped to his feet and soon felt a lot better, even joking about going back on by the time he had reached the near side of the pitch.

At half-time, the hosts only trailed 12-7 having played into the wind but a combination of Castleford making ground by keeping the ball in hand, plus Grovians tackling too high, enabled the third-placed visitors to notch a deserved victory.

But, epitomising the character which has now enabled them to take eight bonus points - the best in the northern divisions - Grovians came out of the match with a tangible reward when strong-running centre Anthony Griffin scored a try in the sixth minute of injury time.

“We have come out of every league match this season with something, and that says a lot about our spirit,” added Whitcombe, “even when we have been forced to draft players into the team because of injuries.

“But fair play to Cas. They played well in the first 15 to 20 minutes of the second half and it was a bridge too far for us in terms of winning.”

On an afternoon that was better than expected, Castleford took the lead when lock Aidan Wood ran a good line towards the posts in the seventh minute, Ian Mattison converting.

The home side’s response was good, though, Ben Brown’s 12th-minute kick into space spinning back towards his team-mates. Castleford knocked on after good pressure from the hosts before Griffin passed the ball to Hopkinson, who scored for Adam Weaving to convert.

The visitors took a lead into the break, however, when their player-coach Danny Price was on the end of a slick attack in the 17th minute after neat interpassing between No 8 Gareth Grant-Mills, Price and fellow centre Andy Ellis.

The first stanza finished in some confusion though when referee Ian Hilton from Ripon, who made a difficult job seem very difficult, disallowed a try for Castleford right winger Martin Dye, saying the ball had rolled over the dead-ball line.

Flanker James Baldwin was shoved into touch in Old Grovians’ right-hand corner as Castleford threatened to extend their lead in the 52nd minute but they did so five minutes later when Wood crossed for his second try, Mattison’s conversion making it 19-7.

Mattison’s 64th-minute penalty - awarded if Whitcombe is correct for appealing against a decision - stretched the visitors’ advantage to 22-7 but Weaving’s penalty from near halfway four minutes later put Old Grovians within striking distance of an incredible sixth losing bonus point for the campaign.

They have also notched two bonus points for four tries or more in a match.

Former Keighley player Ellis said: “After being relegated for two successive seasons without winning a game, this was our seventh victory in nine matches this season.

“But Old Grovians pushed us hard. They are a mid-table or top half of the table team.”

The Apperley Bridge side are currently ninth out of 14 clubs.