CASTLEFORD Tigers Women avenged their Beftred Challenge Cup semi-final defeat against York City Knights Ladies with a 20-18 win in the Beftred Women's Super League (WSL).

York booked their spot in the Challenge Cup final, which takes place on Saturday against St Helens (11.30am), via a dominant 32-4 victory over Castleford at the LNER Community Stadium last weekend.

But the Tigers provided a perfect response as the two sides returned to league action, with Cas maintaining their 100 per cent winning start.

Castleford opened the scoring through Hollie May Dodd, but York hit back when Sinead Peach went over for a try against her former club.

Dodd bagged her second try of the game to put the visitors back in front and Kaitlin Varley's effort sent them into a 12-4 half-time lead.

Two tries and a goal from Rhiannon Marshall early in the second half but a Georgia Roche score in-between meant that the Tigers still held the advantage.

With ten minutes remaining, Castleford's Lucy Eastwood bagged what would eventually prove to be the match-winning try.

In the dying stages, York closed that lead to just two points when Alisha Clayton barged over the line.

But Castleford managed to hold on to make it three wins from as many matches in the Super League.

York sit fifth in the table, a place below Castleford and the sought-after top four, where the league will be split after ten rounds of regular season action.

After the game, Knights and England star Kelsey Gentles said: "Win, lose or draw, I think we can all agree these kind of games are better than the one-sided whitewashes we've been seeing recently.

"What a game (and) congratulations (to) Castleford.

"WSL is going to become very tasty in the next few weeks when the league splits."