WAKEFIELD Trinity Wildcats' excellent season came to a disappointing end last night as they fell at the first hurdle in the engage Super League play-offs.
Les Catalans Dragons' shock 25-16 victory at Hearwell Stadium, Belle Vue, earned them a trip to Huddersfield Giants in another elimination tie next Friday.
Wildcats – without the injured Danny Brough - led 2-0 for a spell, but Dragons rallied mag
nificently with three touchdowns in nine minutes before the interval to go in 16-2 ahead.
Dragons extended their advantage to 20 points early in the second period and though Luke George inspired a spirited fightback, scoring two tries and creating another, Thomas Bosc's kicking ensured Wakefield couldn't get back on terms.
The hosts got all the 50-50 calls in a desperately poor opening half hour, including the first five penalties.
One of those came after Vincent Duport had crossed from Adam Mogg's floated pass, but video referee Steve Ganson spotted an obstruction in the build-up.
Another was for interference by Greg Bird on Steve Snitch, Brad Drew landing the kick from in front of the posts to give Wakefield a narrow lead after 20 minutes.
Catalans looked dangerous when they managed to hang on to the ball and they hit back to go ahead on 31 minutes after Richard Moore's offload was snapped up by Sebastien Raguin.
Dragons ran a power play on the last tackle and Casey McGuire, Mogg and Clint Greenshields combined to put Duport over at the corner, too far out for Bosc to convert.
Five minutes after that, Dragons extended their lead with a classy touchdown. McGuire began the move and found Mogg, who threw a dummy and stepped between two defenders before sending the supporting Oliver Elima over the line against his former club.
Bosc landed the conversion, Wildcats conceded a penalty on the full and from that Dimitri Pelo squeezed over at the corner from Greenshields' superb pass, the stand-off adding his second goal from wide out to make it 16-2.
Things got even worse for Wakefield seven minutes into the second half. The outstanding Greenshields was halted just short, but Pelo caught the defence napping to duck over from acting-half.
Bosc's touchline conversion extended Dragons' lead to 20 points, but Wildcats responded immediately when, from a scrum, Ryan Atkins' pass sent Luke George tearing over, though Drew couldn't add the extras.
Desperate defence kept Jason Ryles and Jean Philippe Baile out, setting the platform for a stunning counter-attack which saw George collect Scott Grix's kick and make ground down the left flank, before turning the ball inside to the supporting Atkins, though Drew again was off target with his goal attempt.
Bosc couldn't find the target with a drop goal shot with 13 minutes left. Five minutes after that George got over at the corner from Snitch's pass, video ref Ganson decided there had been no obstruction and Drew's touchline conversion made it 22-16.
Dragons were creaking, but Bosc calmed their nerves with a drop goal three minutes from time and he landed a penalty in the final seconds to complete the scoring and a miserable night for Wakefield.
WAKEFIELD TRINITY WILDCATS: Blaymire, George, Demetriou, Atkins, Murphy, Grix, Obst, Stosic, Drew, Korkidas, Snitch, Wilkes, Ferguson. Subs (all used) Henderson, Winterstein, Leo-Latu, Moore.
LES CATALANS DRAGONS: Greenshields, Duport, Raguin, Baile, Pelo, Mogg, Bosc, Ryles, McGuire, Guisset, Elima, Gossard, Bird. Subs (all used) Ferriol, Carlaw, Touxagas, Casty.
REFEREE: Phil Bentham (Warrington).
