Leigh Leopards edged out Wakefield Trinity in a thriller on an emotional day at the DIY Kitchens Stadium.
The game was dedicated to Trinity coach Daryl Powell’s toddler grandson Clarke, who has been receiving treatment for leukaemia and led the teams out when he was carried on to the pitch by his mother.
Both sides could have won it, but Joe Ofahengaue’s late try was the crucial swing moment after other scores from David Armstrong and Darnell McIntosh.
Wakefield only led for a short period in the second half despite tries from Max Jowitt, Oliver Pratt and Corey Hall.
Leigh scored inside three minutes without Wakefield touching the ball. Their pressure was relentless as they gradually pushed forward until Armstrong forced his way over the line. Ben McNamara was unable to convert.
But Wakefield hit back within five minutes through Jowitt’s ninth try of the season in all competitions.
With two players spare to his right, his dummy pass unlocked the door from close range following a quick scrum. He picked himself to secure the extras with his kick.
McNamara restored parity with a penalty, before his quick pass to Armstrong unlocked the Trinity defence after McIntosh’s initial counter-attack. Once again, McNamara succeeded with his kick to increase Leigh’s lead to six points.
Jowitt’s last-ditch tackle on the line denied McIntosh a certain try in the corner as the visitors looked to ramp home their advantage before half-time. After McNamara added another penalty, McIntosh finally crossed after a wonderful pass from Lachlan Lam for another try, but the kick was missed.
Three minutes from the break, Pratt touched down after superb Wakefield switch play from right to left. Jowitt kicked over to put the hosts back within six.
The second half was cagey, but Jowitt closed the gap further for Wakefield with a penalty before Hall’s try.
Hall capitalised on a defensive misjudgement from Tesi Niu to touch down after meeting Jake Trueman’s searching kick. Jowitt put Wakefield in front for the first time with his conversion.
Trinity were looking set to record a crucial win as they looked to climb into the Super League top six, but Ofahengaue struck from close range to steal it inside the final few minutes, before McNamara added the extras.
