Last-gasp Sykes kick gives Wakefield Wildcats dramatic win over St Helens

PAUL Sykes kicked a dramatic last-gasp drop goal to give Wakefield Trinity Wildcats a thrilling 33-32 win over St Helens at the Rapid Solicitors Stadium.

Francis Meli's hat-trick try for St Helens five minutes from time had the scores level before Sykes, on-loan from Bradford Bulls, sent the home fans crazy with a kick that puts Wakefield within a point of the Super League play-offs.

Skipper Danny Kirmond and Lee Smith scored two tries apiece, the latter's second a superb width-of-the-pitch effort, while Andy Raleigh and Kyle Wood also got on the scoresheet as Wildcats made it four wins on the spin for the first time since 2009.

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Tony Puletua had put Saints ahead after just 27 seconds and a brace from full-back Paul Wellens added to Meli's treble in a thrilling clash.

But Wildcats, boosted by the half-time news that Paul Aiton had agreed a contract extension until the end of 2015, were well worth the two points and victory gives them a great chance of sneaking into the top-eight with three matches to go this term.

Wildcats: Mathers, Fox, Cowling, Smith, Cockayne, Sykes, Smith, Amor, Ellis, Raleigh, Lauitiiti, Kirmond, Washbrook. Subs: Wood, Wilkes, Mariano, Johnson.

St Helens: Wellens, Makinson, Shenton, Jones, Meli, Hohaia, Lomax, Perry, Roby, Laffranchi, Puletua, Flannery, Flanagan. Subs: McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Clough, Dixon, Gaskell.

Referee: Thierry Alibert.

Attendance: 7,876.

See next week's Wakefield Express for full match report, reaction and pictures from today's game.