Wakefield (11) 17
Tries: Demetriou, Leo-Latu, Martin Goals: Brough 3 Drop: Brough
Wigan (16) 28
Tries: Carmont, McIlorum, Phelps, Fielden, S Tomkins Goals: Richards 4

Highlights - Wakefield 17-28 Wigan

Wigan recovered from a shaky start to beat Wakefield and reach the Carnegie Challenge Cup quarter-finals.

The Warriors were 10-0 down after only six minutes following tries from Jason Demetriou and Tevita Leo-Latu.

But they fought back and tries by George Carmont, Michael McIlorum and Cameron Phelps put them in control by the break.

Tony Martin crossed to give Wakefield hope but late tries by Stuart Fielden and Sam Tomkins sealed the win.

Wigan and coach Brian Noble will be keen to forget the opening 10 minutes of the game with the blustery conditions causing problems for the visitors.

Right from the start, Thomas Leuluai fumbled Danny Brough's kick-off to force a Wigan goal-line dropout.

Moments later, a mistake by Fielden gifted possession to Wakefield and the ball went wide to Demetriou who beat off the challenge of Carmont to cross.

Then, Leo-Latu was given too much space by the Wigan defence and he made the most of the gap to go over with Brough adding the extras.

Wigan looked to have got on to the scoreboard after nine minutes when Pat Richards crossed but the try was chalked off by the video referee who deemed the ball had been stripped from a Wakefield player in the build-up

But they finally scored after 15 minutes when a long pass by Sean O'Loughlin bounced in front of Richards and he passed infield to Carmont to score although Richards missed the extras.

The try gave Wigan a lift and they pulled level on 25 minutes when a barnstorming burst by Gareth Hock was supported by Leuluai for hooker McIlorum to go over under the sticks.

606: DEBATE That Wigan performance was fantastic - rubbish 10 mins at start but to win it 28 - 7 after that was great work wiganarebest09

Brough kicked over a drop goal to edge Wakefield ahead again by a single point but Wigan took the lead nine minutes before the break when a delightful inside pass from Leuluai found O'Loughlin.

The Wigan captain shrugged off the attentions of two Wakefield defenders to pass inside to Phelps who went over under the posts and again Richards was able to convert.

Wigan enjoyed the bulk of possession at the start of the first half but were unable to score and they fell behind when Martin raced onto the end of Brough's kick to go over.

But the Warriors held firm and Fielden found space to race over from about 10m out for a solo touchdown - only his third try for Wigan since his move in 2006.

Wigan had the greater composure and controlled the ball after that and Tomkins showed great strength to get the better of a couple of Wakefield defenders to crash over and make the game safe.

Wigan coach Brian Noble (on Stuart Fielden):

"Stuart's form has been pretty good over the last month. You forget he's a good player. He is a consummate professional.

"Wakefield made it hard work for us. They were not going to lie down and we had to dig in.

"It was an uphill fight and I was highly delighted with the character of the players. The forwards carried the ball really well and put us in a position to score points.

"We were a bit shabby with the ball but a lot of that is down to Wakefield."

Wakefield coach John Kear:

"We're very disappointed to be out of the cup but I thought the effort was first class for 80 minutes.

"We made one or two errors and missed a few one-on-one tackles and that's what probably cost us.

"They went out and gave their all and you can't ask for any more. If we play like that for the rest of the season, we will win more than we lose."

Wakefield: Blaymire, Grix, Martin, Atkins, Peterson, Obst, Brough, Wilkes, Leo-Latu, Moore, Snitch, Pitts, Demetriou.
Replacements: Drew, Bibb, Sculthorpe, Winternstein.

Wigan: Phelps, Roberts, Gleeson, Carmont, Richards, Smith, Leuluai, Fielden, McIlorum, Coley, Hock, Bailey, O'Loughlin.
Replacements: Paleaaesina, J. Tomkins, Prescott, S. Tomkins.

Referee: P Bentham (Warrington)

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