Huddersfield 25-26 Wakefield: Ryan Hampshire settles thrilling West Yorkshire derby
Last Updated: 03/05/19 10:52pm
Ryan Hampshire's 75th-minute penalty proved decisive as injury-hit Wakefield edged a thrilling victory at West Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield.
The Giants were leading 25-24 after stand-off Oliver Russell landed a drop goal but Trinity were not to be denied as Hampshire's two-pointer earned his side the win and gave him a 10-point haul.
Wakefield went close in the fifth minute through winger Ben Jones-Bishop, who was denied in the right corner as Huddersfield were forced to drop out under their posts.
From the repeat set, Trinity led when Mason Caton-Brown collected a smart pass from Ben Reynolds and burst through a gap to score inside the left channel.
Hampshire converted Caton-Brown's seventh-minute opener to give Wakefield a 6-0 lead and they doubled their advantage in the 11th minute.
This time a sweeping move saw the ball pass through several pairs of hands and culminate in Reynolds being stopped just short of the line.
However, Caton-Brown was on hand to collect possession and dive over the line from acting half-back on the next tackle inside the left channel again.
Hampshire added the extras again to make it 12-0 before Huddersfield forced a drop-out of their own and a subsequent repeat set on their visitors' line.
That led to Australian scrum-half Matt Frawley working his way over from close range in the 15th minute and Russell converted to make it 12-6.
A third Wakefield try arrived in the 24th minute when prop David Fifita kicked the ball left-footed behind the Huddersfield defence before showing impressive pace and strength to touch down his own grubber kick for a try which Hampshire converted.
Shortly after, Wakefield were dealt a blow when prop Tinirau Arona went down injured and was helped off the field, with George King stepping off the bench to replace him.
Huddersfield pushed hard for a second try as the interval approached but they could find no way through a Wakefield side who led 18-6 at the break.
Yet the hosts' response was to be applauded as Jermaine McGillvary struck twice to get them right back in the game.
In the 47th minute, he finished off a flowing move with a fine finish in the right corner and then dived over in the same spot for his second four minutes later.
Russell's superb conversions levelled matters at 18-18 before replacement hooker Adam O'Brien dived over the line from close range in the 55th minute and Russell again converted to make it 24-18.
But Wakefield were not finished and Jones-Bishop collected possession when the Giants spilled the ball, racing 80 metres to score a 66th-minute try which Hampshire converted.
Huddersfield then lost prop Ukuma Ta'ai to a high shot on Jordan Crowther and, although Russell's drop goal put the hosts ahead in the 72nd minute, Hampshire's penalty proved decisive.
The result sees Wakefield go third in the table, while Huddersfield are ninth after back-to-back defeats.
