Wakefield Trinity 28 Leigh Centurions 24: Trinity storm back to snatch victory over Centurions

A win could have lifted promoted Leigh into fourth place in Super League and that looked on the cards at half-time.

Trinity scored back-to-back tries to lead at the end of the first quarter, but then conceded three touchdowns in nine minutes – all from close-range through weak goalline defence - to go in at the break 24-12 down.

Leigh, inspired by a contingent of former Castleford Tigers players, were in total command at that stage, but Wakefield were transformed after half-time and it was all-square again by the hour mark.

The turning point was a disallowed Leigh ‘try’ in the third quarter, which was followed soon afterwards by the hosts’ equalising score.

There was a measure of controversy over Ben Jones-Bishop’s decisive touchdown, the 100th of his career, with 14 minutes left, but no doubting Wakefield’s worthiness as winners after a dominant final 40,

Wakefield got off to the worst possible start, conceding after just five minutes. It was a quality finish by Ben Reynolds, from another ex-Castleford man Danny Tickle’s pass, following a break by Gareth Hock.

Reynolds converted, but Wakefield went close to an equaliser through Mitch Allgood, who was pulled down just short and then Dean Hadley forced his way over from acting-half, but was held up.

Hadley had been playing in the second-row during his spell on loan from Hull, but started at hooker.

Liam Finn, who had been left out against Leeds six days earlier, made his first start of the season in the halves and Jacob Miller dropped to the bench. Prop Keegan Hirst came of the bench in the second half to make his Wakefield and Super League debut.

Joe Arundel missed the first four games of the season, but was called up after the in-form Reece Lyne suffered a knee injury in the win over Salford.

He scored Wakefield’s opener on 18 minutes, being in the right place to collect David Fifita’s offload following a mistake by Ryan Hampshire.

Williams’s kick levelled the scores and Wakefield were in front three minutes later.

Tom Johnstone’s break and quick play-the-ball led to a penalty and from that Finn’s long pass picked out Scott Grix and he threw a dummy and then stepped through a gap for a fine touchdown, which Williams improved.

Wakefield received four of the first five penalties, but then conceded five in succession and Leigh took full advantage.

Back-to-back awards gave the visitors a leg up back into the contest, carrying them close enough to the line for Mickey Higham to duck over from acting-half.

That was a poor try for Wakefield to concede and the next, almost immediately, was just as bad, Sam Hopkins exploiting some weak defence from Higham’s pass.

Reynolds converted both and was involved in the build-up to Ben Crooks’s try six minutes before the break, following a high tackle by Craig Huby on Harrison Hansen.

Hampshire provided the final pass and the conversion left Wakefield with a mountain to climb.

Super League is blessed with some quality wingers, but there are not many better than Johnstone, the competition’s young player of the season last year.

Pace makes him lethal from long-range, but he can also finish from close to the line. Eight minutes into the second half he cut through Leigh’s right-side defence in clinical style from Grix’s pass after good work by Finn.

Williams’s conversion cut the gap to six points, but Trinity had an escape with 22 minutes left when Matt Dawson crossed, but referee Chris Campbell ruled Hampshire’s pass forward.

Leigh were penalised in the subsequent set, at the end of which Finn dabbed a grubber kick between the posts and Miller, who had just come on, touched down, making Williams’s equalising conversion a formality.

With 14 minutes left Williams kicked to the right corner and Jones-Bishop made a good catch and managed to stretch over through Dawson’s attempted tackle.

It looked as though he may have touched the ball down just short, but Campbell indicated a try and video referee Ben Thaler gave the green light.

Williams could not add the extras and missed with a relatively straight-forward penalty attempt nine minutes from the end, but Trinity held on with no real alarms.

Wakefield Trinity: Grix, Jones-Bishop, Arundel, Tupou, Johnstone, Williams, Finn, Allgood, Hadley, Fifita, Ashurst, Kirmond, Arona. Substitutes: Hirst, Huby, Wood, Miller.

Leigh Centurions: Hampshire, Higson, Crooks, Brown, Dawson, Reynolds, Drinkwater, Hock, Higham, Acton, Tickle, Vea, Hansen. Substitutes: Pelissier, Green, Hopkins, Burr.

Referee: C Campbell (Widnes).