UNDERSTRENGTH Widnes travelled to Castleford for their last game of the season probably more in hope than expectation.

But credit to Denis Betts’ men they gave a good account of themselves despite going down 40-26 at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle.

Tom Gilmore and the Chapelhow twins got a chance to show what they can do and can be proud of their efforts.

The fact Widnes went short with the kick-off to start the game probably said something about the type of fare to be served up.

Widnes took the lead on eight minutes when Gilmore’s intelligent kick into the in-goal was tapped back by Hep Cahill allowing Connor Farrell to touchdown. Lloyd White added the extras to make it 6-0.

Castleford pulled four points back on 17 minutes and what a popular score it was.

Fullback Luke Dorn, in his final game before retirement, touched down wide out after fine work by Jake Webster.

The Tigers, as usual, were looking extremely dangerous on their left edge and pressure paid off when quick hands allowed winger Denny Solomona to slice through and improve the angle sufficiently to give Luke Gale an easy conversion.

After repelling a few more attacks, the Vikings broke out with Corey Thompson and Chris Dean linking up before the latter was held short. Cas hooker Paul McShane’s efforts to slow down Dean’s play-the-ball saw him sent to the sin-bin but Widnes couldn’t take advantage.

Instead, down to 12 men, it was the home side that scored again when Solomona caught Gilmore’s cross-kick and raced 80 metres to score his 41st try of the season to break the Super League record.

Gale’s second conversion gave the Tigers a 16-6 half-time lead.

Thompson pulled a try back early in the second half when he profited from the confusion created by a Gilmore bomb but it only heralded an onslaught from the Tigers.

Substitute Ben Crooks raced on to a flat Gale pass to coast over and almost immediately Solomona completed his hat-trick by latching onto a Gale kick to the corner.

When Matt Cook crossed and Farrell found himself in the sin-bin for interference at the tackle, things were looking bleak.

That feeling seemed to be confirmed when Paul McShane went behind the posts to make it 40-10.

But this Widnes outfit is nothing if not game.

Patrick Ah Van went in at the corner for a six-pointer and he was quickly followed over the whitewash by Farrell who did well to wriggle over for his second try of the game to make it 40-22.

And with the last play of the game, Gilmore’s kick into the in-goal was brilliantly grounded by Thompson to complete the scoring.

Castleford: Dorn; Flynn, Webster, Minikin, Solomona: Hampshire, Gale; Cook, McShane, Springer, Holmes, Savelio, Milner. Subs: Maher, Chase, Crooks, McMeeken.

Widnes: Hanbury; Thompson, Dean, Runciman, Ah Van; Mellor, Gilmore; J Chapelhow, White, Dudson, Whitley, Farrell, Cahill. Subs: T Chapelhow, Manuokafoa, Heremaia, Leuluai.

Half-Time: 16-6 Referee: Mr J Smith Attendance: 7,103