Wakefield Wildcats 10 Crusaders 20: Wakefield slump to defeat as fans vote with feet

For the 4,671 hardy souls who were tempted out by the Spring sunshine yesterday had to endure a testing afternoon as John Kear's Wildcats slumped to their fifth defeat of the season.

Level 10-10 at half-time, the game was finely balanced and Wakefield seemed poised to press home the advantage, but could not break down a rugged Crusaders defence.

Kear described his team's performance as "unacceptable".

"I thought the performance was unacceptable," Kear said. "We are in a hole and we are not showing signs of getting out of it at the minute.

"We are obviously missing personnel we started the season with but we are not showing signs that we are improving, we are just showing signs that we are deteriorating.

"It's worrying and certainly hurting us in the changing room.

"I hope it is hurting the players because it certainly wasn't acceptable for the fans who pay their hard-earned money to come here and watch that."

The match started in a subdued atmosphere – both on and off the pitch – but the Crusaders made the opening score after six minutes.

Good footwork from Rocky Trimarchi broke through Wakefield's line, and when the ball was played out wide, rugby union convert Gareth Thomas stretched over to score his first try for the Crusaders. Michael Witt failed with the conversion.

That proved to be a rare scoring chance in the opening exchanges as Wakefield failed to make ground and had to rely on the boot of Paul Cooke to keep the Crusaders on the back foot.

So it was a welcome tonic when the hosts scored on the first attack on Crusaders' line after 15 minutes.

The ball was fizzed out wide to the right, Aaron Murphy slipping in Damien Blanch to score in the corner, and Cooke converting despite striking the posts as the ball scraped over.

The Wakefield Dolls cheerleaders had hardly had time to settle back in their dug-out after their try celebrations when visiting scrum-half Witt broke away from halfway to grab Crusaders' second try, which he added the conversion himself to lead 10-6.

Luke George produced a superb dummy, as he hopped and skipped through the Welsh side's defence for a try, bamboozling Thomas along the way, but Cooke's missed kick left the sides locked at 10-10.

With Trinity stand-off Ben Jeffries having a growing influence on his side's attacking instincts, his quick hands the axis for most home attacks, the game was finely balanced at the break.

And that was mainly due to Matt Blaymire's last-ditch tackle on Lincoln Withers who broke through two missed tackles and looked inked in for a try until the Trinity full-back intervened.

Handling errors were commonplace at the start of the second half, both sides guilty of gifting possession, none more so than Morrison when he lost the ball with the Belle Vue crowd roaring for a try.

But it was the visitors who retook the lead on 54 minutes. Wakefield were pushing the ball forward, Jeffries kick was chipped forward for the onrushing Morrison, but Nick Youngquest picked up the ball, sidestepped the charging forward before scampering away unopposed for a long-range try.

The boos which came from the Belle Vue crowd showed their frustration to be trailing in a game which was clearly there to be won.

Those moans turned to cheers moments later when Blaymire raced over for a 'try,' but the fans' joy was shortlived as referee Gareth Hewer pulled play back for a forward pass.

Blaymire departed with what looked like a hamstring problem and Crusaders stretched their lead in the 68th minute, Vince Mellars bulldozing over to take a 20-10 lead.

Daryl Millard's knock-on, under little pressure from a hopeful kick forward, just served to deepen the pessimism amongst the home support and the struggle to choose a man of the match award in the press box reflected on the poor second-half display from Wakefield.

Blanch was unfortunate when a grubber kick bounced unkindly over his head, but that was as close to a fightback as Wakefield came in a game plagued with errors.

Crusaders head coach Brian Noble was pleased with the contribution of former Wales rugby union star Thomas, after he clinched his first try for the club.

Noble said: "The best compliment I can pay him today is that he looked like a rugby league player.

"He didn't look out of place at all and he is big and strong and will get better and better.

"Nick Youngquest had his best game of the season for us. Weller Hauraki and Jason Chan showed their prowess and Rhys Hanbury had a huge task.

"He got off a plane on Friday, practised for five minutes on Saturday and we threw him in at the deep end."

Noble added: "I thought we were unlucky last week and the week before and we tried our best to lose this one.

"We worked really hard and I am thoroughly pleased but we could have made the game a whole lot easier for ourselves."

Wakefield: Blaymire, Blanch, Murphy, Millard, George, Jeffries, Obst, Moore, Leo-Latu, Korkidas, Demetriou, Morrison, Cooke. Substitutes: King, Henderson, Tronc, Kirmond.

Crusaders RL: Schifcofske, Thomas, Chan, Mellars, Youngquest, Lupton, Witt, O'Hara, Withers, Bryant, Hauraki, Winternstein, Trimarchi. Substitutes: Flower, Peek, Thackray, Hanbury.

Referee: G Hewer (Whitehaven).