Wildcats survive Giants rally
Wakefield moved into the Super League top six thanks to a hard-fought 28-26 victory over 12-man Huddersfield at Belle Vue.
Last Updated: 16/06/08 8:22am
Wakefield moved into the Super League top six thanks to a hard-fought 28-26 victory over 12-man Huddersfield at Belle Vue.
A Wildcats victory had looked in the bag after a controversial try after the half-time hooter and the dismissal of Luke Robinson just before the hour.
But the Giants recovered in the final quarter to reduce the deficit to just two points thanks to tries from John Skandalis and Darrell Griffin.
The game was fractious from the start, with play stopped after just three minutes for a serious-looking injury to Danny Brough after a tackle from Kevin Brown.
Danny Sculthorpe and Griffin were then sin-binned for exchanging punches before Jamie Rooney put Wakefield ahead with a penalty.
Hit back
But Huddersfield hit back and claimed the lead when Robinson's delicate kick between the posts was touched down by Jamahl Lolesi.
Chris Thorman added the conversion and a penalty soon afterwards but Wakefield responded through a Rooney try and conversion.
Rooney then sent Scott Grix over which Brough converted to make it 12-8 and that should have been the half-time score.
But the timekeeper failed to make himself heard from the back of the muffled east stand and Rooney touched down to spark anger on the Giants bench.
Brough converted and Wakefield added another as the scrum-half put Kevin Henderson over early in the second stanza.
Pulled back
Eorl Crabtree pulled one back, but the Wildcats looked safe as Robinson was dismissed for speaking out of turn after team-mate Andy Raleigh was penalised following an altercation with Brough.
Yet the Giants responded well through Skandalis and Griffin tries and Thorman conversions, but it was not enough.
The defeat leaves the Giants, in the caretaker charge of assistant coaches Paul Anderson and Kieron Purtill, second from bottom of the Super League table.