Wakefield 28 Huddersfield 26: Brough proves class act as Ganson takes centre stage

Wakefield propelled themselves into the top six with a breathless victory over a fiercely determined Huddersfield side at Belle Vue.

Steve Ganson, the referee, took centre stage by showing three yellow cards as well as dismissing Luke Robinson, the Giants' scrum half. But it was his failure to hear the half-time hooter that proved most controversial, letting Jamie Rooney register his second try two tackles after play should have been stopped.

That score finally proved crucial but it should never have been that close after Wakefield led 28-14 when Robinson was given his marching orders.

Second-half tries from Eorl Crabtree, John Skandalis and Darrell Griffin set up a tense finish but Wakefield held out for two points that owed much to the influence of Danny Brough.

Brough was taken off on a stretcher in a neck brace after just three minutes, but he emerged 20 minutes later and immediately created a try for Scott Grix.

Rooney's second gave Trinity an 18-8 half-time lead and sparked furious protests from Paul Anderson, the Giants' caretaker coach, who had earlier seen Jamahl Lolesi establish an advantage for the visitors.

Ganson brandished yellow cards to Danny Sculthorpe and Griffin following a fifth-minute flare-up and went to his pocket again when Chris Thorman, the Giants' stand-off, dissented to another of Ganson's decisions after half an hour.

Brough laid on a second try, this time for Kevin Henderson, and Jason Demetriou marked his return after missing nine games with a neck injury by establishing Trinity's 14-point buffer before Robinson saw red after copying Thorman's criticism of the referee.

"The challenge on Danny Brough was disgraceful," John Kear, the Wakefield coach, said. "I'm sure the RFL will have a really good look at it and rightly so because I'm absolutely seething about it. It then escalated and if you come with that attitude then what else do you expect?"

Wakefield: Blaymire; Grix, Gleeson, Atkins, Blanch; Rooney, Brough; Wilkes, Obst, Bibey, Golden, MacGillivray, Sculthorpe. Substitutes used: Moore, Drew, Demetriou, Henderson.

Huddersfield: Cudjoe; Aspinwall, Brown, Whatuira, Elford; Thorman, Robinson; Griffin, Hudson, Skandalis, Wild, Lolesi, Raleigh. Substitutes used: Jackson, Crabtree, Kirmond, Jensen.

Referee: S Ganson (St Helens).