Wildcats roar at KC
Wakefield have gone third in the Super League table after battling to a 21-14 win at Hull.
Last Updated: 18/04/09 5:03pm
Wakefield have gone third in the Super League table after battling to a 21-14 win at Hull.
John Kear's Wildcats twice trailed, 6-0 and 14-8, in Hull's 100th game at the KC Stadium, but were able to come back and secure a third win in eight days.
It was Danny Brough, a Challenge Cup winner with Hull in 2005, who proved to be the difference between the sides, creating two of Wakefield's tries and landing a crucial drop goal midway through the second half that set his former club on the way to a sixth straight defeat in all competitions.
Hull marginally enjoyed the better of the first half and led by four points at the break, but only because of Brough's failure to convert either of Wakefield's tries.
The Wildcats started the better of the two, with Sean Gleeson twice threatening the line, only for Hull to open the scoring with 10 minutes gone.
Wakefield were penalised for a high shot on Willie Manu and, after Chris Thorman's penalty sent Hull down the field, Danny Washbrook produced a smart cut-out pass to send Mark Calderwood in for his third score of the year, which was improved from the touchline by the boot of Danny Tickle.
Calderwood was in the thick of the action and was fortunate not to be penalised by referee Gareth Hewer for appearing to fumble Brad Drew's kick close to his own line, before he raced 60 metres from a 20-metre restart in a scintillating run that was relieved by Matt Blaymire's ankle-tap.
Wakefield opened their account with 23 minutes gone through Jason Demetriou's first score of the year.
Barge over
An error at the play-the-ball from Craig Hall handed them possession and Brough's pass gave Demetriou the opportunity to barge over the top of Manu, which he did.
A second score followed soon after and again it was on the back of a Hull error.
Hall was involved again, as was Calderwood, with the pair indecisive as to who should field Drew's kick.
In the end Calderwood took the ball in, but saw it immediately stripped by Tony Martin who spun and fed Scott Grix to score in the corner.
But Hull were not to be denied a half-time advantage, with Mike Burnett marking his return from eight weeks out with an ankle injury with a simple score under the posts after another Washbrook pass. Tickle's goal opened up a 12-8 interval lead.
Wakefield were comfortably the better side upon the resumption of the game, but were solely responsible for being unable to make quick inroads on the deficit as they consistently turned the ball over when they had good momentum, with Tevita Leo-Latu and Damian Blanch notable culprits.
Tickle punted a 38-metre penalty with 53 minutes gone to hand his side six points' worth of breathing space but that was wiped out a minute shy of the hour mark as Wakefield drew level.
Brough was again involved, this time offering up the ball that gave young forward Jay Pitts his try score of the season, while Scotland captain Brough was finally able to convert from almost in front of the posts to make it 14-14 with a quarter of the game remaining.
Brough then displayed his almost priceless value to the Wildcats with a one-pointer that rifled over the bar from close range with 13 minutes remaining, before Oliver Wilkes sealed Wakefield's success with a walk-over try under the posts after neat work from Drew.