Castleford 23 Saints 22.

SPORT can be a cruel business, but the way the Saints rollercoaster finally hit the buffers, after eight months of ups and downs, was particularly gut-wrenching.

Comeback kings Saints had battled back from a 10-point deficit to rattle in three tries in the last 15 minutes to lead with less than two minutes to play.

The Theatre of Dreams was in sight, but nothing is ever simple – Cas regathered from a short kick off and in a last throw of the dice threw everything at Saints but the defence held firm.

Alas, on the last play a kick through was gathered safely by Ben Barba – only for Ryan Morgan to be penalised for obstructing Michael Shenton.

It was a needless penalty but one which allowed Luke Gale, the man who had had surgery to remove his appendix just a fortnight ago, to level after the hooter had sounded to send the game into golden point.

The Cas number seven wasn’t done yet – and after both he and Matty Smith had missed with pot shots at drop goal, Gale landed the winner to end Saints’ Old Trafford dreams.

It was a pretty brutal way to end a game and season. No second chance, no opportunity to strike back and not even time to come to terms with the prospect of losing before the final whistle.

There was nothing golden about the ending for Saints - just the cold reality of a devastating loss, made worse by the fact that Saints outscored the runaway leaders, noted for their free-scoring ability, by five tries to three.

And the thoughts of what Justin Holbrook’s still evolving side could have done at Old Trafford makes the defeat doubly galling to stomach.

The tries Saints scored were quality ones too, invariably fashioned by the refined touches of Blue Riband players James Roby or Ben Barba and finished off with some aplomb.

After a shocking start from Saints it turned into a humdinger of a game – but that will be scant consolation the morning after the night before.

Castleford got off to a dream start when Zak Hardaker’s steepling kick off was spilled by Zeb Taia and from the scrum the Man of Steel contender polished off fine work from Gale to zig-zag over the line.

A Gale conversion and a penalty gave the hosts an 8-0 lead, and there were initially fears that a mullering of the cup proportions could have been on the cards.

But the 1,500 or so travelling fans in the jam-packed to the rafters Jungle saw Saints slowly but surely get on top.

Regan Grace flew in – literally – at the corner after Barba’s vision and execution with a floated, cut-out pass created the opportunity.

Greg Minikin for Cas and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook for Saints both had tries denied.

But Saints finished the half in fine style when Roby went left from dummy half before switching play right with a reveres pass to send Morgan Knowles storming over.

The satisfied reaction of Holbrook showed it was one of those that had been honed on the fields of Cowley from his own coaching manual.

Percival’s goal – his only successful one of the evening – gave Saints 10-8 lead at the break.

All of a sudden there was a real belief that Saints were one good half away from an Old Trafford return.

And they built in belief when they repelled Cas for two sets on their line before a stray pass relieved them.

Up the other end Saints hammered the Cas line with Luke Douglas, Roby and Percival all going close.

Luke Douglas was held up before Percival went within inches.

They would pay for not scoring there, because there were signs that the Tigers, 17 points ahead of Saints on the final league table, were feeling it.

They did, however, grow in confidence from repelling Saints and when they countered they did so with devastating effect, with Greg Eden skinning Tommy Makinson on the flank before turning it back inside to Gale, who did the rest on 52 minutes.

Signs that the pendulum was swinging the Cas way grew when Adam Milner snuffed out Tommy Makinson in the corner after a fine break by Barba.

And then to rub salt in the wounds hooker Paul McShane poached a 40:20 which gifted the hosts the platform for Milner to force his way through a heap of bodies.

With 15 minutes to play, and Theo Fages on to break things up a little, Saints launched one their famous comebacks.

Two tries in three minutes, both courtesy of the exquisite handling of full back Barba, put Saints back in contention.

Makinson was the first beneficiary from a Barab dash and pass, with Percival taking the short ball to cut it to a two-point deficit.

Again, both goals were missed, but the Saints rollercoaster was on an upward trajectory three minutes from time when from half way they ran the ball on the last tackle.

Nice handing and forceful running from Alex Walmsley saw the big man pierce the line, Roby galloped through before floating a fine ball for Morgan to amble over.

Saints had a two-point cushion, but after a year of twists and turns, there was a particularly cruel one waiting this time out.

It was almost like the rugby gods had conspired to concoct a plan to pay back Saints for Wide to West, numerous late Warrington conquests and the year’s earlier win over Salford.

Saints were pinged for obstruction with less than 30 seconds remaining on a pretty unthreatening Gale kickthrough.

Gale slotted it and then nailed the golden point to break Saints hearts. And in the words of Roy Orbison, it’s over….well at least until February.

And it may take that long to fully recover from a loss as tough as this.

Tigers: Hardaker; Minikin, Webster, Shenton, Eden; Roberts, Gale; Massey, McShane, Sene-Lefao, Foster, McMeeken, Milner. Subs: Millington, Moors, Cook, Springer.

Saints: Barba; Makinson, Morgan, Percival, Grace; Lomax, Smith; Douglas, Roby, Thompson, Taia, Knowles, Wilkin. Subs: Fages, Walmsley, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Peyroux.