 Wigan were eyeing second spot, while their supporters who made the trip over the Pennines for tonight's match, were wondering whether their side could emulate the Wolves and inflict another massacre on Super Leagues' cut adrift bottom side.
Few gave the Wildcats any hope, and many tuning in on SKY will have been hoping for, rather than expecting, a decent game.
So the Wildcats had nothing to lose as cast iron underdogs against a Wigan side who are starting to look like serious contenders for the top super eights battle to come.
So it was totally out of the blue when the Wildcats opened the scoring with just forty seconds on the clock as Craig Hall went forty metres off a Matty Ryan pass, outpacing the Wigan defence to score by the posts and make the Hall conversion a simple one.
On seven the visitors were back on level terms after they built pressure well and Dom Crosby went over from close from first receiver. Smith kicked the goal from bang in front. On thirteen Smith stepped twice to go in on his own and added the conversion for 12-6, and it seemed that the Warriors had overcome the early hiccup.
Just after the twenty and it was 18-6 as Sarginson fed Joe Burgess to go through a yawning gap and score, but as the half hour approached skipper Danny Kirmond gave the home side hope as he backed up a Lyne break and went over for a walk-in. Hall goaled for 12-18 and with Wigan making unforced errors there was hope for a first league win since February for the 'Cats.
On thirty-four some slapping turned to punching and Tim Smith and Sam Powell found themselves cooling their heels for ten minutes.
Three minutes before the break Manfredi kept his great try-scoring run going with a try in the corner which was converted by Smith but with two seconds left on the clock the gap was again narrowed to six points when Godinet crossed from acting half-back to dive over from two metres out.
Wigan errors and some opportunistic play by the Wildcats meant that they were still in the game with forty left, and most Wildcats supporters would have been delighted with that at the start.
The Wakefield optimism lasted just two minutes of the second half when Farrell and Sarginson combined to give Burgess his second of the night and Matty Smith goaled the conversion for 30-18 but The Wildcats just wouldn't throw in the towel.
On forty-six a shocking Tautai offload will see him with extra push-ups from Shaun Wane on Monday morning and Godinet picked up the errant pass, flung the ball to Riley who found his way over the whitewash. Hall missed the conversion and Wigan held an eight point lead.
As the Wildcats tired the Warriors snatched a couple of tries to seal the win. On fifty-seven Lee Mossop pushed over the line taking advantage of two injured Wildcats in back-play and six minutes later, after earlier being denied by the video referee, Joe Burgess completed his hat-trick with a one handed try in the left corner. Smith missed his first conversion of the night but his side had secured a hard fought 40-22 win against a plucky Wildcats performance.
It was the Warriors errors which gave this game the interest in a game which they should have won at a canter. All credit to Wakefield, who despite a massive injury list, too their chances with both hands and gave their lofty visitors more than the odd scare.
Wildcats: Hall, Owen, Ryan, Lyne, Riley, Godinet, Smith T, Scruton, McShane, Kavanagh, Washbrook, Kirmond, Crowther, Subs: Lauitiiti, Smith D, Kirke, Simon.
Wigan: Hampshire, Manfredi, Gelling, Sarginson, Burgess, Williams, Smith, Mossop, McIllorum, Crosby, Tomkins J, Farrell, Bateman. Subs: Flower, Clubb, Tautai, Powell.
Referee: Rob Hicks
Attendance: 3,107 |
