Lam try breaks Wakefield hearts

Wigan 18 Wakefield 14

A try by Adrian Lam 10 minutes from the end of a pulsating match finally ended Wakefield's unlikely play-off adventure, but it took a huge effort from Wigan to do so.

A try by Adrian Lam 10 minutes from the end of a pulsating match finally ended Wakefield's unlikely play-off adventure, but it took a huge effort from Wigan to do so.

Wakefield, in unknown territory by virtue of reaching the second week of the Super League play-offs, had a major boost before the kick-off when their leading try-scorer, Sid Domic, was declared fit. Wigan were more cautious with the potential strike power of Brian Carney, starting with the Irishman on the bench after his recurring hamstring problems.

The home side almost drew first blood when the ball came free from Gareth Hock in the tackle and Brett Dallas dived over, but the try was disallowed for a double movement. Instead, Wakefield hit the front with an ungainly try. Colum Halpenny kicked across field, Semi Tadulala scrambled the ball back for Domic and Halpenny was there to score.

With only 12 minutes gone, Trinity took their lead to 10 points. Hock lost the ball in the tackle again and when David March found Duncan MacGillivray the Australian second-rower went straight through Terry Newton's tackle to score. The nightmare continued for Wigan when Ben Jeffries kicked for the corner and Martin Aspinwall flapped at the ball under pressure from Tadulala, the ball running free for David Solomona to score. March missed the conversion.

The first chink of light for Wigan came when Chris Feather lost the ball on the first tackle. In the spell of pressure that followed, Kevin Brown was held up over the line before Kris Radlinski managed to touch down as a tangle of players careered towards the sideline. Another Wakefield indiscretion contributed to Wigan's next try, Tadulala giving away a penalty on the last tackle of a set and, this time, Brown taking Newton's pass to score.

Andy Farrell's conversion reduced the defecit to four points, although Paul Handforth should have stretched it to six when he missed a simple penalty. The second half produced disallowed tries for both sides, thanks to the video referee, before finally, with 10 minutes to go, Lam pounced for the vital try. Farrell converted, and Wakefield's dream was over.

Wigan: Radlinski; Dallas, Wild, Brown, Aspinwall; Orr, Lam; Farrell, Newton, C Smith, Hock, Tickle, O'Loughlin. Substitutes used: Carney, O'Connor, Robinson, Sculthorpe.

Wakefield: M Field; Halpenny, Demetriou, Domic, Tadulala; Ellis, Jeffries; Feather, March, Korkidas, Solomona, MacGillivray, Spicer. Substitutes used: Griffin, Handforth, J Field, Snitch.

Referee: R Smith (Castleford).