We didn't deserve to win, it'd have been a miracle if we did

John Cartwright refused to put Hull FC's 22-14 defeat to Castleford Tigers down to bad attitude or the like but admitted he was left puzzled by an error-strewn account in what was a sloppy and lethargic performance on their home ground, to say the least.

- By DAN TOMLINSON

The Black and Whites, who by their own head coach's admission, prepared well for the clash, struggled to get going and were left to rue a series of uncharacteristic errors - at least compared to the majority of their displays this season.

They made unforced errors, whether through lack of concentration or just a general sloppiness around their play. There were first tackle stone-cold drops, errors picking the ball up from the ruck, or even coming into contact with the ball when running it dead, and that theme continued throughout.

It ensured Castleford, who fully deserved their win, got a lead and rarely looked back. They were 22-6 ahead before two late Lewis Martin tries put some respectability into the result, one which was more comfortable than the end scoreline suggests.

Cartwright said: "It was just error-riddled. There was no lack of effort there - we had to defend our line and defend our mistakes a lot. Why you make errors, it's hard to know. I think every coach in the history of the game has gone through games, and you just wonder where it comes from.