York Knights 14-26 Wakefield Trinity: Match Report

York Knights lost another tight game in Betfred Super League, going down 26-14 to Wakefield Trinity at the LNER Community Stadium.

Attendance: 5796

Despite dominating for a long spell of the first half, they still trailed by two points going in at half-time, after tries from Sam Wood and Ben Jones-Bishop.

It looked like being a grandstand finish to the game when Nikau Williams went in for the Knights with 10 minutes remaining after Wakefield had taken a lead through a score from Tom Johnstone.

However, with injuries starting to affect the Knights, Wakefield scored twice more through Johnstone and Pratt to claim the win.

York had a great start to the game, and not long after Corey Hall was held up over the line, they got their first points after some poor play and indiscipline from Wakefield. Paul McShane gave a short ball to Sam Wood who went over to put York ahead. Williams converted.

More Knights pressure followed, but despite having the better of the possession, they couldn’t turn it into more points, despite David Nofoaluma and WIlliams having chances.

Eventually, Caleb Hamlin-Uele scored for Wakefield, crashing in from close to the line, and Jowitt converted to level things.

However, York soon retook the lead. Ben Jones-Bishop leapt to take an Ata Hingano kick. Williams missed the conversion from in front of the posts, but York were back to being 4 points ahead.

Just before the break, Wakefield took their chance to go in front again, when former York loanee, Oli Pratt finished off a lovely move. Max Jowitt added the goal to give Trinity a two point lead at half time.

The start of the second half saw York start well again, with McShane having the best of their chances to score. But it was Trinity that scored first, when Tom Johnstone took a great pass from Jake Trueman to dive over to extend the lead.

York looked to have pulled back when Will Dagger appeared to have scored from a Toa Mata’afa kick, only for the video referee to rule Wakefield’s Jowitt had caught Dagger’s hand as he kicked the ball away, which also led to Jowitt being shown a yellow card.

Xavier Va’a was held up, before York made the extra man advantage count when Williams scored out wide, too far out to add a conversion which would have drawn them level with 10 minutes to go.

As York were forced to reshuffle their line up when Mata’afa left the field with a dislocated elbow, Wakefield took the opportunity to take hold of the game.

Johnstone got a second try, making a break from around half way, before work from Cam Scott sent Pratt clear for a brace of his own to make sure of the win.

York: Mata'afa, Jones-Bishop, Wood, Williams, Nofoaluma, Hingano, McShane, Va'a, Balmforth, Vaughan, Dee, Griffin, Cook.

Subs: Dagger, Field, Martin, Sangare.

18th Player: Galeano

Tries: Wood (14), Jones Bishop (35), Williams (69)

Goals: Williams (1/3)

Wakefield: Jowitt, Pratt, Scott, Hall, Johnstone, Trueman, Sinfield, McMeeken, Smoothy, Rodwell, Vagana, Storton, Tevaga.

Subs: Faatili, Hamlin-Uele, Pitts, Smith.

18th Player: Nikotemo

Tries: Hamlin-Uele (32), Pratt (39. 79), Johnstone (57,74)

Goals: Jowitt (2/4) Sinfield (1/1)

Sin Bin: Jowitt

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