Wakefield 28-26 Huddersfield: Ben Jones-Bishop the hero for Trinity
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 27/05/17 12:17am
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 try-saving 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.
