Wakefield 28-26 Huddersfield: Report and reaction as Trinity maintain top-four push

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Match stats: Wakefield 28-26 Huddersfield

Wakefield tries: Jones-Bishop (2,70), Lyne (32,56), Kirmond (38)
Goals: Finn (2, 38, 56), Williams (70) 

Huddersfield tries: Mamo (10), McGillvary (15), Gaskell (21), Ferguson (45)
Goals: Ridyard (10, 15, 22, 45, 67) 

Match report

Wakefield came from behind to snatch a 28-26 victory over Huddersfield to maintain their push for a top-four spot in the Betfred Super League.

The rejuvenated Giants were on courses for a third win in four games when they led 26-22 with 10 minutes to go but Trinity winger Ben Jones-Bishop went over for his second try of the match - his 14th of the season - to tie the scores and replacement half-back Sam Williams kicked the difficult conversion to clinch a fifth successive win.

It was survival of the fittest in stifling conditions at the Beaumont Legal Stadium and Wakefield finished the stronger to just about deserve the spoils, despite another impressive performance from Huddersfield's Australian full-back Jake Mamo.

Wakefield could hardly have made a better start, with centre Reece Lyne demonstrating superb handling skills to get Jones-Bishop over for first try with just two minutes on the clock.

Liam Finn added the touchline conversion to make it 6-0 but Trinity then produced a string of errors to allow their opponents back into it and Huddersfield hit their straps to run in three tries before half-time.

Mamo, a constant threat with the ball, forced his way over from close range for his seventh try in just six Super League appearances before supplying the final passes that enabled both winger Jermaine McGillvary and scrum-half Lee Gaskell to get over the line.

Stand-off Martyn Ridyard, making the second appearance of his loan spell, kicked all three conversions to make it 18-6 and it did not flatter the visitors but they relaxed their grip in the last 10 minutes of the half.

A run of three penalties enabled Wakefield to get a foothold and, after Mamo had illustrated his defensive mettle with a trysaving tackle on Mason Caton-Brown, the ever-dangerous Lyne skipped past his opposite number Aaron Murphy to score the home side's second try.

And when skipper Danny Kirmond took a pass from replacement half-back Sam Williams to plunge over two minutes before the break, Wakefield were suddenly only two points behind with Finn's second goal.

However, Huddersfield re-established an eight-point cushion when Gaskell put them into a superb attacking position with a 40-20 kick and then supplied the pass to get second rower Dale Ferguson crashing over for a fourth try, to which Ridyard added his fourth goal.

But Mamo blotted his copybook on 56 minutes when he was deceived by a speculative kick from Williams and watched in horror as Lyne got the touch for his second try.

Finn kicked his third goal and, although Ridyard edged his side further in front with a penalty, Williams produced the pivotal play of the match with a cut-out pass that enabled an unmarked Jones-Bishop to go in for his second try.

Match Reaction

Wakefield coach Chris Chester: "It was pretty ugly. We definitely got out of jail.

"We've won five on the bounce and the law of averages says you're going to have a bad performance in one of them.

"Huddersfield deserved something out of that game. They were a lot better than us in a lot of areas. They outplayed us in that first 30 minutes and again in the second half.

"We really struggled in the ruck, we were very sloppy. They were better in the wrestle and left a lot of our guys on the floor. There were a few choice words at half-time and they responded well.

"We showed some real good character to come back and it was a special play from Sammy to put Bish over and then kick the goal

"I can't ask for more, to come back from two scores down, it was a real gritty performance but we need to be quite a lot better in a lot of areas to get something out of the game (at Wigan) on Monday.

"A win's a win and we'll take it, it consolidates our place in the top six."

Huddersfield coach Rick Stone: "We're pretty disappointed with the result. The game could have gone either way. The stats are telling us it was a pretty close game in all departments.

"We let in a couple of soft tries but the effort was there. We were a little bit loose defensively in the first half even though we led 18-6. We had a chance to gain ascendancy at that stage and couldn't quite manage it. If we could have been tidier defensively, we might have got the result.

"There are lots of positives, though. We looked a bit more dangerous offensively. It was a pretty open game and we were more productive than last week."