Wildcats halt slide
Wakefield have halted their slide down the Super League table after scoring a 31-18 comeback win at Hull KR.
Last Updated: 12/03/10 9:57pm
Wakefield have halted their slide down the Super League table after scoring a 31-18 comeback win at Hull KR.
After winning their first three games of the season, John Kear's men lost their next two, including a 52-0 home drubbing at the hands of Huddersfield last weekend.
The Wildcats appeared headed for another defeat when they trailed 18-6 at half time on Friday but then proceeded to put 25 unanswered points on the board after the break.
All the more remarkable was the fact that they started to claw their way back with 12 men after the sin-binning of Danny Brough - Wakefield scoring twice in his absence before he returned to set up a third which put them in the lead.
Yet the early indications were that their trip to Craven Park would bring more of the same - the home side exploiting gaps in the Wildcats defence to go ahead in the fourth minute.
Michael Dobson's pass out to Kris Welham found the latter in plenty of space and that was even more true of Liam Colbon after he had been released to touch down.
Dobson converted, although the Wildcats needed just four minutes to respond - Shane Tronc scoring his first try for the club after Michael Vella conceded a penalty in Robins territory.
Brough converted for 6-6 and the scrum-half's boot could have placed them further ahead soon after when his looping kick earned a goal-line drop-out.
Instead though, Jason Demetriou was intercepted and Peter Fox set off on a long run which for a brief moment looked to be carrying him all the way.
The winger fell short but Hull KR scored their second in the 18th minute when, having won a penalty, they cleverly took advantage of two dummy runs to leave Jake Webster free on the overlap.
Fortunate
He also had a hand in the home side's third try six minutes later, a somewhat fortunate score started and finished by Scott Murrell - his kick ricocheting straight into the hands of Webster, who then set up the hooker to run through unopposed.
Having missed his second attempt, Dobson converted. Facing a 10-point deficit, Wakefield placed their opponents under pressure as they looked to score in the 10 minutes before half time.
Despite both a 60-metre run down the left flank from Aaron Murphy and the Wildcats also winning two penalties well within scoring range, they failed to do so.
Instead, Brough was intercepted and after Welham had embarked on a 60-metre run of his own, the former showed his frustration by interfering with the play-the-ball.
He was soon dispatched to the sin bin, with Dobson then kicking the resulting penalty for an 18-6 half-time lead.
However, it was 12-man Wakefield who scored their second in the 44th minute after Colbon had knocked on, Sam Obst eventually crossing have evaded several challenges - the stand-off also converting.
As he did four minutes later when the Wildcats pulled level. Matt Blaymire was the scorer, touching down after Hull KR's defence proved unable to deal with Obst's kick through.
Brough then returned and it was his high bomb that set up Wakefield's fourth try after an hour, the ball hanging for an age in the wind before Daryl Millard beat Shaun Briscoe to it.
Brough kicked the extras and Blaymire did the same with a drop goal after 65 minutes to place the onus on the home side to hit back with two tries.
Dobson gave them a chance when he produced a 40-20 from 28 metres inside his own half but his side instead conceded a penalty - Webster being punished for dissent.
Instead, Tronc scored his second from close range with Brough converting - the latter's attempts to seal a fine comeback win albeit blotted late on when his interception run ended with a misplaced pass to Dale Morton.
