Super League: Wakefield 12-18 Hull: Airlie Birds edge Wildcats to claim victory
Hull returned to winning ways to keep their treble hopes alive but they resembled anything but potential Super League champions in an 18-12 victory over Wakefield.
The Challenge Cup winners were second best for long periods of a disappointing match and were in danger of going down to a third successive defeat since their Wembley triumph before centre Mahe Fonua produced a piece of individual brilliance to score the all-important try nine minutes from the end.
Lee Radford's men are now just a point behind Warrington and need Wigan to beat the table-toppers on Friday night to set up a showdown with the Wolves for the League Leaders' Shield in Hull.
Wakefield, who were led out by Australian prop Scott Anderson on his final home appearance as he prepares to hang up his boots, have now lost six out of six matches in the Super 8s but coach Chris Chester will be proud of his players' efforts in defeat.
If Trinity had nothing to play for, nobody bothered to tell centre Bill Tupou who produced a determined run from deep inside his own half to create the position for the game's first try.
Winger Tom Johnstone supported the break and, although he was brought down 10 metres short of the tryline, Hull winger Fetuli Talanoa was sin-binned for holding him down too long in the tackle and Wakefield immediately took advantage of the extra man.
Stand-off Craig Hall's pinpoint kick to the corner found former Hull centre Joe Arundel, who wrong-footed his opposite number to go over for a try converted by Liam Finn.
Former Hull man Hall then came to his side's rescue at the other end, turning full-back Jamie Shaul onto his back over the line after a rare threatening attack from the visitors and Finn extended Wakefield's lead with a penalty on 31 minutes after prop Chris Green was pulled up for a late tackle on the scrum-half.
Hull eventually showed signs of getting their act together just before the break when former Wakefield second rower Danny Washbrook took Carlos Tuimavave's inside pass to force his way over a try, which Marc Sneyd goaled.
But Wakefield continued to look the more enterprising side and had chances to go further ahead early in the second half.
David Fifita was held up over the line and fellow front rower Mickael Simon lost his grip on the ball in another charge for the line as the Black and Whites' defence was put to the test.
It was largely against the run of play when Hull finally took the lead, substitute Jordan Thompson taking Danny Houghton's pass to crash over for his first try since February, and Sneyd's second conversion made it 12-8.
The Cup winners survived a scare on the hour when Tupou had a try controversially disallowed for offside but there was no stopping winger Tom Johnstone six minutes later when he accepted Hall's cut-out pass to dive over in spectacular fashion for his side's second try.
Finn failed with the conversion attempt to leave the scores tied and Hull snatched it when the strong-running Fonua proved virtually unstoppable in a 40-metre burst upfield and scored from dummy half after his winger Steve Michaels had been brought down just short of the line.
Wakefield might have claimed a draw had Tupou been able to hang onto the ball in a scoring position four minutes from the end but his fumble spared Hull's blushes.