WAKEFIELD TRINITY 18 LEIGH LEOPARDS 14
DAVE CRAVEN, DIY Kitchens Stadium, Friday

TOM JOHNSTONE marked his 200th game with an incident-packed performance as Wakefield heaped more misery on Leigh.

Although the England winger didn’t secure a customary try on his milestone appearance, he delivered all the character traits which underpinned his side’s hard-fought success.

Johnstone produced one brilliant try-saving tackle on Jack Hughes, another crucial shutdown of Gareth O’Brien in the second half, had one try ruled out and even found himself hoisting an unlikely classic midfield bomb.

He got caught up in a melee on the half-time hooter, made an important intercept and generally made life miserable for his beleaguered opponents with his usual hard-running.

But Daryl Powell’s side, for all their endeavour and enterprise, only led 12-4 heading into the final quarter.

They couldn’t feel safe of their third Super League win of the season until Hughes was yellow carded for a blatant professional foul on the impressive Isaiah Vagana as the second-row tried chasing down a kick to score.

Oliver Pratt, who also ran well for Trinity at centre, did cross moments later in the 63rd minute, Max Jowitt’s third goal making it 18-4.

Even then twelve-man Leigh responded with a try against the run of play for Josh Charnley.

But, with celebrity fan Chris Kamara watching on from the main stand, there’d be no denying the hosts even if Jacob Alick-Wiencke scored another with just 21 seconds remaining, Adam Cook converting to take some gloss off Trinity’s victory.

Leigh, still missing a raft of injured talent, remain with only one league win all year and that was from the opening round.

Jazz Tevaga opened the scoring with his first try in Wakefield colours after eleven minutes, typically after Vagana charged close.

The loose-forward latched onto Tyson Smoothy’s clever dummy-half pass on the last tackle but it was alarming how easily Leigh were fooled.

With the excellent Vagana leading Wakefield’s pack effort, making a series of strong carries and breaks, they were unlucky not to cross again.

Jayden Myers thought he was over off Jake Trueman’s monster cut-out pass in the 28th minute but Innes Senior recovered just in time to slightly nudge the winger’s leg across the touchline as he dotted out.

Instead, Lachlan Lam hit Jack Sinfield and Jowitt made it 8-0 with a penalty.

However, Caius Faatili inexplicably spilled running the restart back, gifting the chance for Gareth O’Brien to jink over in the 33rd minute.

Still, cult-hero prop Faatili made up for his error by helping set up Wakefield’s third try just 68 seconds into the second half.

Like Johnstone, he found himself hoisting a high kick on the last tackle. Leigh let it bounce, Smoothy kicked on and Myers got his try.

Jowitt did great to hold up the powerful Tesi Niu over the line as Adrian Lam’s side battled to get back.

But when Jowitt and his colleagues rallied again to deny Senior, you sensed it wouldn’t be their night.

Trinity should have made sure when Vagana romped clear again but Jowitt’s final pass was just behind Cam Scott meaning Senior, crucially, got a flailing hand in the way.

Frankie Halton had an effort ruled out at the other end but Hughes’ indiscretion meant there’d be no reprieve for Leigh.

GAMESTAR: Tom Johnstone impressed but Isaiah Vagana deserved his man of the match award.

GAMEBREAKER: Jack Hughes’ 62nd-minute yellow card was always going to spell the end of Leigh’s faint hopes of success.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: Isaiah Vagana smashed Louis Brogan with one thunderous hit just moments after the Leigh replacement had come on.

ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Isaiah Vagana (Wakefield)
2 pts Tom Johnstone (Wakefield)
1 pt Oliver Pratt (Wakefield)

MATCHFACTS

TRINITY
1 Max Jowitt
21 Jayden Myers
3 Cameron Scott
2 Oliver Pratt
5 Tom Johnstone
6 Jake Trueman
20 Jack Sinfield
8 Mike McMeeken
9 Tyson Smoothy
10 Ky Rodwell
11 Seth Nikotemo
18 Isaiah Vagana
13 Jazz Tevaga
Subs (all used)
12 Matty Storton
14 Jay Pitts
15 Caleb Hamlin-Uele
16 Caius Faatili
18th man (not used)
17 Harvey Smith
Also in 21-man squad
4 Corey Hall
23 Josh Rourke
32 Will Tate

Tries: Tevaga (11), Myers (42), Pratt (63)
Goals: Jowitt 3/4

LEOPARDS
21 Gareth O’Brien
19 Innes Senior
3 Tesi Niu
22 Jack Hughes
5 Josh Charnley
6 Adam Cook
7 Lachlan Lam
12 Owen Trout
24 Ben McNamara
10 Robbie Mulhern
11 Frankie Halton
15 Jacob Alick-Wiencke
13 Isaac Liu
Subs (all used)
16 Matt Davis
17 Liam Horne
25 Louis Brogan
28 Ryan Brown
18th man (not used)
29 Will Brough
Also in 20-man squad
14 Aaron Pene
30 Oliver Polec

Tries: O’Brien (33), Charnley (69), Alick-Wiencke (80)
Goals: Cook 1/3
Sin bin: Hughes (62) – professional foul

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 8-0, 8-4; 12-4, 18-4, 18-8, 18-14

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Trinity: Isaiah Vagana; Leopards: Frankie Halton

Penalty count: 8-4
Half-time: 8-4
Referee: Chris Kendall
Attendance: 7,552