Wigan 42 Wakefield 24: Calderwood's finishing maintains momentum in Wigan survival fight
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Your support makes all the difference.Wigan's fourth win in a row last night took them level on points with Wakefield at the bottom of Super League and the feeling is that all the momentum is with the Warriors and their survival fight.
Michael Dobson gave Wigan an early lead with a penalty. Michael Korkidas then went to the sin-bin for an obstruction on Danny Orr to give Dobson another easy shot at goal.
They got the try that their territorial domination deserved midway through the first half, after Brett Dallas had gone 60 metres only to be caught by Callum Penny with Ben Jeffries going to the sin-bin for holding him down. Wigan sustained the pressure and Bryan Fletcher scored from Micky Higham's dummy-half pass. Dobson kicked the goal and his side was in double figures.
Fletcher's next contribution was out of the top drawer, slipping the pass that enabled Mark Calderwood to step off his wing and score the second Wigan try, again converted by Dobson.
For Wakefield, only David Solomona's offloads threatened. Even when Jeffries attacked the line at the end of the first half, he contrived to throw the ball to Nathan McAvoy. Wigan immediately went to the other end to score again. A lovely break from Orr set it up with Calderwood again showing smart finishing.
Wakefield hit back after the interval when Adam Watene scored from Sam Obst's clever little kick, but Wigan soon replied through Orr's try from Scott Logan's flicked pass. The Wildcats got another one back from Jamie Rooney's kick and Halpenny's dive, but Wigan scored soon after, McAvoy kicking ahead and getting a favourable bounce.
When Sean O'Loughlin went over four minutes later, Wigan were on their way to the resounding win they needed although there was a glorious solo effort from Wakefield's Solomona.
"The boys are very disappointed with the second half, which is good coming from them," said the Wigan coach Brian Noble. His Wakefield counterpart, Tony Smith, unhappy about a number of refereeing decisions, said: "What went on in the first half was disgraceful. People's livelihoods are on the line."
Wigan: Ashton; Calderwood, Radlinski, McAvoy, Dallas; Orr, Dobson; Paleaaesina, Higham, Fielden, Hock, Fletcher, O'Loughlin. Substitutes used: Logan, Godwin, Hansen, Tickle.
Wakefield: Halpenny; White, Demetriou, Atkins, Tadulala; Rooney, Jeffries; Watene, Betham, Korkidis, Solomona, Catic, Field. Substitutes used: Henderson, Griffin, Elima, Hobst.
Referee: A Klein (Keighley).
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