Chris Chester hails world class Tom Johnstone finish

James Gordon

Wakefield Trinity's Tom Johnstone takes high ball to score a try.

Wakefield coach Chris Chester paid tribute to winger Tom Johnstone’s finishing, and revealed the winger was struggling with a shoulder injury.

Johnstone scored one of the tries of the season in the 23-22 defeat to Wigan, rising high to claim a Jacob Miller kick above Bevan French, and then holding off the Warriors full-back to score one-handed tight to the left corner.

Chester said: “It was a world-class finish. He had no right to score that try but it really put us back into the game.

“I’m pleased Tom stayed out there, it looked like he was going to have to have to come off six or seven minutes from the end.”

The Wakefield coach rued a first half performance that left them with too much to do, after they fought back bravely from 22-6 after 50 minutes to only be denied by Harry Smith’s one-pointer.

There was controversy over the manner of the Jake Bibby try that put Wigan 16 points in front, before Wakefield pulled back through Johnstone and returning winger Liam Kay, making his second debut after arriving from Toronto Wolfpack.

Jacob Miller missed a late drop goal to take the game in to extra time.

Chester added: “I’m really disappointed to lose the game. I just thought we gave them far too much respect in the first half.

“The talk all week was not about the new rules but making sure we completed high in the first half and we failed to do that.

“Some guys were guilty of trying to over-play but obviously I’m happy and proud of the effort.

“It was a tale of two halves. We needed to control ball a lot better than we did do in the first half and ultimately it cost us.

“We showed when we move the ball around we’re a hard team to beat. There was very little to choose between the teams. Wigan’s game management was probably a bit better than ours today.

“It’s fine margins, we were a little bit off in certain areas.

“We could have levelled it with Milky’s drop goal and that was the difference. We didn’t put pressure on their man and Milky had two or three men bearing down on him.”

Super League Chris Chester