Mason Lino earns Daryl Powell praise following derby heroics in vital Wakefield Trinity win
Daryl Powell heaped praise on matchwinner Mason Lino after his last-gasp drop goal edged Wakefield Trinity past Leeds Rhinos in a Belle Vue thriller.
The half-back put Matty Storton over for the try that levelled the scores late on before holding his nerve in the dying seconds, moments after Brodie Croft had seen his own effort drift wide at the other end.
“He was under a fair bit of pressure and to be honest I don’t know how he got it over,” said a relieved Powell, who relished a memorable evening in front of Trinity’s biggest crowd in 12 years.
“He had an outstanding last seven minutes. He picked the pass for Storton to score then got the drop goal.
“He’s done some unbelievable things this year. He’s been the only recognised half at times for us this season and I think he’s really grown in maturity.”
Wakefield’s 15-14 win sends them back into the play-off places ahead of the weekend and Powell admitted they were two crucial points with closest rivals Hull FC favoured to win their next two games against struggling Huddersfield Giants and Salford Red Devils.
“The two games we’ve got are obviously tougher games, so it was important that we won tonight, and the game against St Helens will be very important as well,” he added.
“There’s a bit of ping-pong at the moment. I think for us and Hull it’s about who’s going to be the toughest and hold their nerve to the end of the season. But that gives us a really good start to the weekend.”
Leeds head coach Brad Arthur bemoaned “cheap errors” for his side’s inability to build on last week’s win over Salford.
Arthur admitted his side were fortunate to reach half-time on level terms after Sam Lisone breached the Wakefield defence just before the hooter.
But having lost playmaker Jake Connor to a head injury, the Rhinos laboured in the second period and failed to wrest enough field position to do damage.
“I was tremendously proud of their effort and physicality, it was all there, but when you give a quality team that many chances, you’re going to come away without the points,” said Arthur.
“There were too many cheap errors in the second half. In the first half we did really well to come in at 8-8, we hadn’t been in the game, but in the second half we handed them too much cheap possession and they didn’t have to work hard enough for it.”
Arthur raised fears about youngster Alfie Edgell who was forced off with an apparent foot injury shortly after O’Connor had crossed to put the visitors in front late on.
The Australian added: “I don’t know if it’s a ligament or a fracture but he’ll have to get a scan.”