Wigan remain on course for the double after seeing off a spirited challenge from Castleford in Saturday's Super League play-off tie at the JJB Stadium.

The Challenge Cup holders, beaten Grand Finalists in each of the last two years, were good value for their victory, which earns them a home elimination semi-final with Leeds next Friday.

Castleford have not beaten Wigan since their famous play-off triumph of 1999 but they threatened to turn the clock back throughout an entertaining tie, which was not settled until second rower Dave Furner went in for their fourth try 10 minutes from the end.

The visitors crucially had a 67th-minute try by full-back Darren Rogers disallowed by video referee Steve Cross and Furner rubbed salt in their wounds by charging through a gap for the decisive score.

The Tigers, who triumphed 14-10 in the first-ever match to be held at the JJB Stadium three years ago, took a fourth-minute lead with a try from winger Waine Pryce and withstood a tremendous Wigan fightback to keep the tie in the balance at half-time.

Pryce, whose impressive form in the second half of the season mirrored the marked improvement of his team, raced onto a slide-rule kick from his captain, the ever-influential Danny Orr, to claim his 16th try of the season, 14 of which have come in his last 12 matches.

Wigan, who ended the regular season with three defeats in four games, went into the tie without six regulars because of injury but they looked to have put themselves firmly in the driving seat with two sparkling tries in four minutes.

Scrum-half Adrian Lam pounced after David Hodgson had palmed the ball back from Julian O'Neill's high kick to the corner and a superb offload by Kiwi Test prop Craig Smith enabled Hodgson to sprint 60 metres for a touchdown.

Skipper Andrew Farrell, who reclaimed the goalkicking duties from O'Neill, put over both conversions as the Warriors led 12-4 and they could have been even further in front.

Full-back Kris Radlinski, normally one of the safest handlers, dropped Farrell's pass with the Castleford defensive line breached and, midway through the first half, when he attempted to send hooker Terry Newton away for a try, Tigers full-back Darren Rogers came up with a precious interception.

It was from Rogers' timely intervention that the visitors scored their second try, centre Michael Eagar pulling himself free from the grip of winger Martin Aspinwall to crash over for a soft score.

Wayne Bartim kicked his first conversion to cut the deficit to just two points but Farrell was on target with a 38-metre penalty to make it 14-10 by the break.

Castleford, who lost Australian scrum-half Mitch Healey before kick-off with a back injury, had their moments early in the second half, largely through the clever prompting of Orr, but the best chances continued to fall to their opponents.

Wigan ought to have made more of another break by Radlinski, who linked superbly all evening with Farrell, while Lam caused all sorts of problems for the Tigers defence with his elusive running.

It was from a jinking run by Lam that the Warriors extended their lead on 50 minutes, although the move was smothered in good fortune.

Lam's pass just short of the line failed to find the supporting Radlinski but the ball rebounded off a defender and trickled over the line for second rower Danny Tickle to touch down.

Furner then went over for the clincher, with Farrell kicking his fifth goal, before Eagar salvaged some consolation by going over for his second try.

Defeat meant the end of the road for Australian forward Kyle Warren and former Wigan centre Barrie-Jon Mather, who both played their last matches for the Tigers tonight.