WAKEFIELD TRINITY 28 YORK KNIGHTS 12
KEITH MCGHIE, DIY Kitchens Stadium, Saturday

LACHLAN Walmsley grabbed a brace of tries as Wakefield confirmed their end of season play-off place by handing struggling York a sixth defeat in seven games.

Trinity, so impressive for much of the campaign, ended their own three-match losing streak through a total of five touchdowns to two Knights efforts.

At the end of a week when Oliver Pratt, Matty Storton and Tray Lolesio had been ruled out for the rest of the season through injuries, Daryl Powell was able to restore a handful first choice players to his 17-man game-day squad.

Tom Johnstone was still absent on the wing for the third successive game and there was no place for back-rower Isaiah Vagana, who missed the previous week’s defeat at Wigan with a shoulder injury.

Mason Lino was named on of the bench, having not played since June due to a calf injury, alongside Jazz Tevaga, who was suspended, while Jay Pitts – who had been out for two weeks with a ruptured bicep – came in at loose forward to make his 450th career appearance.

The Knights, who headed into the game looking to snap their own losing streak, made several changes with Ben Jones-Bishop back on the wing after recovering from a broken foot, Paul Vaughan returning from concussion protocols and captain Liam Harris plunging back into the halfback role to make his first appearance since June.

After an afternoon of varying degrees of rain and with the floodlights on from the start, Trinity’s big, direct running pack gave them the better territorial position and Jon Bennison was caught inside his own in-goal area, handing vital position back to the hosts.

At the end of the second successive set Corey Hall dived onto a short grubber by Jack Sinfield to open the scoring – Max Jowitt adding the extra two points. 

York, who hadn’t won at Belle Vue since November 1984, continued to struggle to get the ball in hand inside the Trinity half and a Sinfield chip forced another Knights drop out.

The early pressure was eventually relieved by a penalty and almost immediately a teasing diagonal punt caught out Lachlan Walmsley with Jones-Bishop catching and grounding in the corner, although Bennison missed the touchline conversion.

Quick hands to the right resulted in Walmsley capitalising on the overlap to restore Trinity’s six-point advantage, although Jowitt was no more successful from out wide than Bennison had been.

Tevaga and Pitts went close but, if Wakefield shaded a tight opening half, the follow up proved to be a much more open affair.

Jowitt fumbled a high kick at one end while Mike McMeeken just couldn’t touchdown Sinfield’s grubber in-goal at the other.

But moments later McMeeken broke free for the supporting Tyson Smoothy to score, only for the video referee to rule an earlier indiscretion.

The Knights took advantage of the decision to go up field for Xavier Va’a to use his bulk and crash over, with Bennison’s kick levelling the scores.

Jowitt and Bennison traded easy penalties to send the game into the final quarter still all square.

A huge looping pass off the floor from McMeeken sent Jayden Myers over in the right hand corner, but Jowitt’s kick was again wayward, leaving the score 16-12.

It barely mattered as a crazy blind pass from Bennison, trying to clear his defence, gave Jowitt a free and untroubled route to the line to put two scores between the sides for the first time.

Walmsley, who dealt well with repeated high kicks, rounded things off with his second try five minutes from time, as Jowitt finished with four goals from six attempts.

GAMESTAR: Mike McMeeken was frequently involved while contributing some decisive touches. 

GAMEBREAKER: The moments of madness that led to Jowitt’s try, which opened up breathing room for Trinity.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: The tenacious Trinity defence in the final few minutes, despite having the game and play-off place clinched by then.

MATCHFACTS

TRINITY
1 Max Jowitt
21 Jayden Myers
3 Cameron Scott
4 Corey Hall
19 Lachlan Walmsley
6 Jake Trueman
20 Jack Sinfield
15 Caleb Hamlin-Uele
17 Harvey Smith
10 Ky Rodwell
8 Mike McMeeken
26 Zac Lipowicz
14 Jay Pitts
Subs (all used)
7 Mason Lino
9 Tyson Smoothy
13 Jazz Tevaga
16 Caius Faatili
18th man (not used)
25 Jordan Williams
Not in 21-man squad
5 Tom Johnstone
18 Isaiah Vagana
27 Myles Lawford

Tries: Hall (9), Walmsley (27, 74), Myers (65), Jowitt (68)
Goals: Jowitt 4/6

KNIGHTS
1 Toa Mata’afa
2 Ben Jones-Bishop
5 Scott Galeano
4 Sam Wood
23 Jon Bennison
37 Cody Hunter
7 Liam Harris
8 Jack Martin
9 Paul McShane
10 Paul Vaughan
12 Jesse Dee
20 Oli Field
14 Denive Balmforth
Subs (all used)
6 Ata Hingano
13 Jordan Thompson
15 Javier Va’a
50 Thomas Doyle
18th man (not used)
27 Matty Foster
Also in 21-man squad
21 Kieran Buchanan
46 David Nofoaluma
48 Tom Inman

Tries: Jones-Bishop (17), Va’a (50)
Goals: Bennison 2/3

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-4, 10-4; 10-10, 12-10, 12-12, 16-12, 22-12, 28-12

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Trinity: Mike McMeeken; Knights: Xavier Va’a

Penalty count: 5-3
Half-time: 10-4
Referee: Liam Rush
Attendance: 7,982