WOLVES boss Tony Smith highlighted a slow start and a failure to take some chances as being his side’s downfall at Wakefield Trinity Wildcats.

The Wire, who lost the services of both centres Ryan Atkins and Rhys Evans during the game and Stefan Ratchford was a late withdrawal due to illness, went 30-6 behind six minutes into the second half.

Two of the Wakefield tries came from interceptions by centre Craig Hall, a relative of first-team assistant coach Lee Briers.

After clawing their way back to 32-28 it was a score from ex-Leeds and Salford winger Ben Jones-Bishop in the 79th minute settled a tie that also saw Kurt Gidley, Anthony England and Danny Kirmond sin-binned.

It was 11 v 12 in the closing stages but Wakefield survived, with Jones-Bishop’s last-ditch tackle on Penny saving a try for the hosts in the set before the winning score.

Smith, who handed 18-year-old half back Morgan Smith a Super League debut off the bench, said: “That first half hurt us.

“Wakefield started really enthusiastically and are very good like that.

“They cashed in on a couple of passes and errors in that first half and left a fairly hefty hill to climb up.

“We nearly got to the top and nearly had a look over the other side.

“In that second half we had an opportunity or two to get our noses in front but not today. It wasn’t meant to be.

“That first half we were just not out of the blocks as enthusiastically as our opponents and it told on us. A few errors here and there too, it hurt.”

Smith said the late reshuffle caused by the illness to scrum half Ratchford resulted in Smith’s call-up.

“We had to make a late change but that’s got nothing to do with the result today,” he said.

“Stef got ill last night and Morgan came in and played off the bench for us. That’s what you have to do sometimes.

“Sometimes you lose somebody in a warm-up and you have to adjust.

“We lost Ryan Atkins, he’s got concussion, and Rhys, the two centres. Rhys has a shoulder niggle and we lost him early in the second half.

“So there were some adjustments around the park but that’s all part of it and makes it a more competitive game I suppose. Penny has done his hamstring, how severe I can’t tell you, but it’s significant.

“I thought Morgan did a good job for us. He’s been good the past couple of weeks.

“I contemplated picking him on merit from last week but I left him alone because he’s got exams at the moment.

“But I had to ring him this morning and ask him would he come and have a game for us. He turned up and played really well. When his exams are over he might get a few more – with a bit more earlier notice.

“I’m trying to leave the kid alone while his exams are on but it was the right call today. Unfortunately, we didn’t get ourselves in the position where I could put him on earlier. He came on and made the most of what he could.

“He’s laid back, takes it in his stride. He’s a nice young man, he’s level headed. He’s excited deep down. He’s got a good carer ahead of him.

“t in terms of today’s game, we had some opportunities that we didn’t quite cash in on and that hurt us. There were a couple of crucial times, a couple from blokes who you normally see finish some stuff off. We had a few boys a bit off their best today.”