Super League: Leeds Rhinos 16-20 Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Last Updated: 28/03/16 5:56pm
Wakefield secured their second Super League win of the weekend with a last-gasp victory over reigning champions Leeds at Headingley.
The Wildcats went into the match revitalised by Friday's win over Huddersfield and they backed that up with another impressive performance to claim a well-deserved 20-16 win.
It meant a sixth defeat in eight games for the Rhinos as they continue to struggle in defence of their Super League crown.
Leeds were unable to call upon the services of second-rower Carl Ablett who joined fellow Grand Finalists Brett Delaney, Danny McGuire and Ryan Hall on their ever-expanding injury list, while Wakefield were without Ashley Gibson and Stuart Howarth, who are both ruled out after picking up head knocks in the win over Huddersfield.
The contest brought together the two lowest points scorers in the competition and it showed in the opening exchanges as both sides failed to make the most of attacking opportunities, albeit in greasy conditions.
However, the Wildcats recovered from a shaky start to open the scoring after quarter of an hour when a short pass from Jacob Miller sent the on-running Ashurst through a gaping hole in the Rhinos defence over for the try, with Finn adding the conversion.
The Rhinos looked to hit back and strung together a series of attacking sets deep inside Wakefield territory however handling errors by Hardaker and Falloon paired with the ferocious try line defence repeatedly denied the home side.
However, the Rhinos finally made their pressure count on 33 minutes when a Hardaker kick deflected into the arms of Moon, who played to the whistle and went over to level the scores.
Liam Finn kicked his side into a 6-8 lead shortly before the break after Leeds crept offside following a series of infringements by the home side that gifted Wildcats the territory.
Leeds started the second forty strongly and went close through Hardaker and Lilley, who was caught in possession on the last set, however it was Wakefield that took the first points of the half with a long-range effort.
Joe Arundel started the move deep inside Rhinos' territory before unleashing Tom Johnstone, whose charge made 30 metres with Miller rounding off team move, Finn adding the conversion.
The Rhinos responded minutes later through Tom Briscoe. Wakefield's inability to deal with Hardaker's boot came back to haunt them when an alert Kallum Watkins pounced on a loose high ball, his offload sending over winger Briscoe in the corner, taking the score to 10-14 with just under half an hour to play.
Leeds thought they had levelled the game up moments later when Briscoe dived in at the corner, but their celebrations were short-lived as the final pass was adjudged to be forward by referee Phil Bentham.
The Rhinos' attacking sets kept on coming as they continued to press the desperate Wakefield defence. Rob Burrow's trademark scampering break setting up the move releasing Hardaker into open space.
The full-back looked on course for a certain try but was denied by superb last ditch defence by Johnstone, the Wildcats losing Scott Moore to the sin-bin for a professional foul in the process.
Johnstone continued his heroics in defence just seconds later when he held up Jamie Jones-Buchanan over the line however, the pressure finally proved too much for the Wildcats 12 minutes from time, when Achurch went over, Sutcliffe's conversion putting the Rhinos' into the lead.
A successful penalty from Finn levelled the game up once again, Sutcliffe missing a chance of his own moments later.
Leeds continued to press and go in search of a winning score but Hall pounced on a dropped ball by Ash Handley to race 80 metres to score in the corner in front of jubilant Wakefield fans.
The Rhinos were given one last chance when Wakefield switched off and allowed Hardaker's restart to go into touch, but they were unable to take it as the Wildcats secured their first victory at Headingley since 2007.
