Wakefield 10 Wigan 8: Halpenny's heroics leave Wigan staring at the abyss

One of the most crucial decisions in the history of two proud clubs could be the one that dooms Wigan to relegation from Super League at the end of the season. The game's most famous club thought they had snatched victory inside the last two minutes at Belle Vue when Pat Richards took a pass from Darrell Goulding and plunged over the Wakefield line in Colum Halpenny's tackle.

The video replay showed that the winger had lost the ball on the way to touching down and, to the fury of the Wigan coach, Brian Noble, the vital try was disallowed. "To me it was a try and I'd like an explanation on why it wasn't," said Noble, who was convinced it was Halpenny who knocked it loose. "We deserved something from that game."

Wakefield's Tony Smith, seeing his side go six points clear of Wigan, admitted the decision could have gone either way. "We are not complaining," he said. "We've had a lot of decisions go against us this season. We worked very hard and got what we deserved tonight."

A truly desperate night for Wigan began with Danny Hill, signed this week from Hull, becoming their 12th debutant of the season. The task of turning the team around is falling on some unlikely shoulders.

Wigan's main problem was conceding too many penalties. One, awarded against Scott Logan for a high tackle on Semi Tadulala, was compounded by Logan being marched a further 10 metres for dissent, but Jason Demetriou wasted the chance for a try by fumbling David Solomona's pass on the line.

The first try of the night was a cruel one for Hill, whose pass went loose and was kicked ahead by Sam Obst. David Vaealiki cut back to make the tackle, but Wigan could not prevent Ryan Atkins crashing over for a try converted by Ben Jeffries.

Wigan got the ball back when Tadulala lost a high kick, their Kiwi prop Iafeta Paleaaesina hit Moran's pass at full tilt to go over.

Sean O'Loughlin's tackle under the sticks stopped David March putting Trinity back in front at the start of the second half, before Danny Tickle's second goal gave Wigan the lead. It was cancelled out by Demetriou weaving his way through weak tackling.

Jeffries, kicking in the absence of the suspended Jamie Rooney, missed the conversion to leave Wigan with plenty of time to claw their way back. O'Loughlin tried hard but too often his kicking let him down, with Halpenny confidently claiming everything that came his way.

Less than two minutes from time, Wigan seemed to have snatched a precious win but the replay showed that Richards had lost the ball in Halpenny's tackle on the line. It summed up their night and their season.

Wakefield: Halpenny; Whittle, Demetriou, Atkins, Tadulala; Jeffries, Obst; MacGillivray, March, Korkidas, Solomona, Wrench, Betham. Substitutes used: Griffin, White, Catic, Watene.

Substitutes used: Ashton; Dallas, Vaealiki, Goulding, Richards; Orr, Moran; Paleaaesina, Higham, Logan, Fletcher, Hill, O'Loughlin. Substitutes used: Seuseu, Godwin, Tickle, McAvoy.

Referee: S Ganson (St Helens).