WAKEFIELD TRINITY gained revenge their Challenge Cup Sixth Round dumping, overcoming a stubborn Featherstone Rovers side to take home a
Wakefield broke the deadlock early on with Lachlan Walmsley flying in at the corner for a trademark finish after nine minutes. Max Jowitt converted for a 6-0 lead.
It was two in five minutes for Walmsley and Trinity – and it came in exactly the same fashion with the visitors carving another opening for the Scotland international to dive in emphatically. Jowitt expertly converted to make it 12-0.
Rovers were denied by a harsh refereeing call moments later as Manoa Wacokecoke was pulled back after being adjudged to have stripped the ball when other Featherstone defenders were involved.
But, the hosts weren’t to be denied just after the midway point in the first-half when Danny Addy played a superb one-two with Josh Hardcastle to dot down under the posts. Louix Gorman converted to reduce the deficit to six.
Walmsley was tackled just short as a hat-trick loomed but it was the boot of Jowitt that extended the visitors’ lead to 14-6 at half-time when Caleb Uele was caught high.
Rovers, however, had the best chance of the second-half after Wakefield conceded three early penalties. And they should have registered a try on 53 minutes, but Hardcastle knocked on an Addy grubber.
The pressure did eventually tell as Aekins scythed through the Trinity defence like a knife through butter. Gorman converted to make it 14-12.
Things began to unravel for Featherstone, however, when Brad England was sent to the sinbin just before the hour for a professional foul on Luke Gale as the latter chased a kick. Jowitt added the penalty to stretch Trinity’s lead to 16-12.
Jowitt added the penalty to stretch Trinity’s lead by four. And the Wakefield fullback was in the thick of it until the end, sprinting round the hosts’ defence before being taken high by Hardcastle.
For that indiscretion, Rovers played the last ten minutes with 12 men as Hardcastle was handed a yellow card.
And the visitors duly took advantage, Walmsley grabbing a hat-trick to seal the deal as time ran down. Jowitt couldn’t convert, but Trinity had won 20-12.
Featherstone Rovers
1 Caleb Aekins
19 Manoa Wacokecoke
29 Louix Gorman
4 Greg Minikin
5 Gareth Gale
14 Harry Bowes
28 Paul Turner
8 Gadwin Springer
9 Connor Jones
18 Moris Kamano
17 Brad England
3 Josh Hardcastle
13 Danny Addy
Substitutes
2 Connor Wynne
15 Wellington Albert
20 Keenen Tomlinson
27 Zach Fishwick
Tries: Addy (21), Aekins (55)
Goals: Gorman 2/2
Sinbin: England (59) – professional foul, Hardcastle (70) – high tackle
Wakefield Trinity
1 Max Jowitt
32 Derrell Olpherts
4 Iain Thornley
3 Oliver Pratt
5 Lachlan Walmsley
6 Luke Gale
7 Mason Lino
8 Josh Bowden
9 Liam Hood
10 Renouf Atoni
11 Matty Ashurst
19 Isaiah Vagana
13 Jay Pitts
Subs (all used)
15 Caleb Uele
18 Ky Rodwell
21 Thomas Doyle
22 Jack Croft
Tries: Walmsley (9, 14, 73)
Goals: Jowitt 4/5
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