ALTHOUGH this was YMCA’s opening game of the season, they were forced into sending a makeshift side to Castleford, and they lost out in the long run.

There were plenty of encouraging signs for head coach Damon Scholes, and had the place kicking been more reliable, they would have come out of it with a victory instead of a three-point defeat.

YM didn’t get their hands on the ball in the opening minutes as Castleford took the lead with a penalty from Ian Mattison before Jon Smith missed a chance to equalise when the home side were penalised for lying on.

Cas extended their lead when full-back Dale Turner came into the line and scored a try in the corner to which Mattison nailed the goal.

Smith did manage to pull three points back before the break from a penalty awarded for a dangerous tackle on makeshift winger Sam Hodge.

Mattison knocked over a second penalty for offside before YM got back into the match when Neil Walker set up the chance by collecting a loose ball and racing towards the home line, and spotting the covering defence closing in, he found man-of-the-match Mark Whitehead on his shoulder, who had enough pace to cross the line.

Smith missed the conversion as well as another penalty chance as YM began to take the game to Castleford,.

Mattison gave his teammates some breathing space by notching his third penalty with 10 minutes remaining, but YM were still not prepared to give in and a quickly taken penalty by Walker was worked to debutant winger James Tindall, who showed a terrific turn of pace and raced down the touchline for a very good try.

YM changed kickers, but James Swift was unable to convert from the touchline, but the Laund Hill side came away with a bonus point and plenty of positives from their opening game, not least from the performances of Walker and Whitehead, Lloyd Bentley and the young winger Tindall.

YMCA:@ Bentley, Bailey (Tindall), Morton, Williams, Hodge, Swift, Smith (Bell), Wrafter, Murphy, Dyke (Ste), Dyke (Stu), Housley, Whitehead, Walker, Hill (Leonne-Mazza).