Castleford Tigers ran in five tries as they demolished Widnes Vikings 28-6 to reach the Challenge Cup final on Sunday.Daryl Powell's men started the stronger and never looked like giving an inch as they scored three without reply before half-time.
Two more tries from Jamie Ellis and Jake Webster followed after the interval, while Widnes were restricted to a late consolation from Jack Owens.
Victory earns Castleford - the surprise package of the season - a place in their first Wembley showpiece since 1992 where they will meet local rivals Leeds Rhinos, who disposed of Warrington Wolves on Saturday.
Having initially picked up the ball on the halfway line, Liam Finn sprinted under the posts to score the sixth-minute opener, before Daryl Clark, who played a pivotal role in setting up the first, added his own name to the scoresheet three minutes later by bundling over the line from close range.
Widnes were offered some reprieve in the 15th minute when Kirk Dixon had a try ruled out for a knock on by Webster.
And Castleford did not have things all their own way. Craig Huby left the field with a dislocated elbow midway through the half and was taken to hospital after doctors at the ground failed to repair the joint.
But the sun was soon shining on the Tigers once again on a gloomy day in Leigh - Dixon capping an excellent passing move by stepping inside to beat the challenge of Rhys Hanbury on the touchline and touch down seven minutes before the break.
The 14-0 scoreline at half-time mirrored that in Saturday's first semi-final between Leeds and Warrington.
But while Leeds allowed Warrington back into the match in the second half, there was no let-up from Castleford in front of a fervent travelling contingent in the stands.
Ellis powered over eight minutes into the second half before Sneyd added two points from a penalty.
The Castleford fans were already celebrating a trip to Wembley when Webster put the icing on the cake 10 minutes from time, before Owens picked up a late consolation for Widnes - converting his own try to take his side's tally to six points.
The day belonged to Castleford, who will face Leeds in the final on August 23, while Widnes could face repercussions following a pitch invasion on the final whistle.
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Tigers maul Vikings to reach Challenge Cup final Updated at :
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Sunday, August 10, 2014
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