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Did I really see the Wigan players show an inkling of passion as they came back from 22-6 to win this match 32-22? Surely I imagined it?
Hopefully it was a come back that can inspire us to play to our potential in forth coming games starting with our return trip to Belle Vue on Friday.
However I refuse to get carried away with this victory. Again we have failed to produce an eighty minute performance.
First half we were dreadful, truly dreadful. Why? Error after error after error. Perhaps they were trying to hard?
I'm so glad we snapped out of it because in the opening stanza we looked like a team destined for relegation.
Second Half we played some good rugby and the reason why? Wayne Godwin. He came off the bench and inspired the come back, controlling the game all by his self.
Usually I prefer to criticise the team as a whole rather than individuals but for Mick Higham it's just not clicking at the moment. All us Wigan fans see it, we look and play much better when Godwin is at dummy half. I think Higham will get it right but I think Millward has got to give Godwin the more predominant role over the two.
All in all a win is a win. But we've got to now produce that over 80 minutes, starting on Friday.
In the first half both Wakefield and Wigan advertised to the nation why they are the bottom to teams in Super League.
I had it in my head during the opening half that I'd write in my report that I'd witnessed a dreadful match between two dreadful sides.
It didn't turn out that way in the end, but that's certainly how it started.
Wigan completely messed up a bouncing kick off as Kevin Brown and Brett Dallas both left the ball to each other. That set the tone for a first half in which Wigan made 10 handling errors.
Wakefield took a deserved lead in the 11th minute when Sam Obst's kick was touched down by Jamie Field. A Jamie Rooney conversion made it 6-0.
Wigan bounced back with a try in the 18th minute from Mick Higham. After a Sean O'Loughlin kick had forced a drop out, Higham strolled in close to the sticks. Danny Tickle's conversion made it 6-6.
Wigan then had a nightmare second quarter of the match. It began with a great individual effort from Sam Obst. However he was helped by pathetic tackling from O'Loughlin and David Vaealiki. A not to difficult conversion was missed by Rooney.
Trinity then had a try from Austin Buchanan disallowed as he grounded the ball on the touch line, which of course is out.
The video ref got that one right and then made a complete howler for a Wildcats "try" in the 34th minute.. Suppose it sounds like I'm biased but it was a terrible decision. Paul White had burst over but he did not ground the ball. Chris Ashton had done brilliant to hold him up but the video ref gave the try. It wasn't even close. Wakefield didn't care, Rooney converted 16-6.
Two minutes later the same two players were in combat again, this time White beat off Ashton to score under the sticks. Rooney again converted, 22-6, and an hammering looked on the cards.
Wigan needed a score before half time or else you knew heads would drop. They managed to get it thanks to a stupid bit of petulance from Colum Halpenny. Halpenny foolishly threw the ball away to give Wigan a penalty from which Ashton scored. Godwin converted to make it 22-12 at half time, and believe me that was a flattering score line to Wigan.
Second half Wigan came out a different side. Some soul searching must have been done at half time because they showed all the attributes us Wigan fans expect in terms of pride in the shirt.
Just two minutes after the break Sean O'Loughlin darted through a gap after Dennis Moran had fed him with a superb pass. Godwin missed the conversion.
Moran followed that up with a brillaint try, kicking through for himself to collect and touch down. Pat Richards took over kicking from Godwin, his conversion bringing the scores level at 22-22.
It was at this point the weather changed from reasonable to miserably wet as the heavens opened. We all prayed there wouldn't be an extra time.
Wigan continued to press forward and when we won a penalty in good range, the fans pleaded for them to "take the two". Having scored two in quick succession they decided to tap but it resulted in a knock on and an opportunity to take the lead was wasted.
Wakefield had gone, they were shattered by the comeback and offered little. It was simply a case of Wigan going on to win or the match petering out into extra time. I had lingering doubts about Trinity getting one chance and taking it but it never came close to happening.
Wigan took the lead for the first time on 66 minutes as they received a penalty, again in good range. I've never seen so many fans stick two fingers up (the non offensive way round) and plead for them to "take the two". This time they did as Tickle made it 24-22.
Now trailing, Wakefield became desperate and that created errors. Wigan took advantage by sealing the game in the 75th minute with a try in the corner from David Vaealiki. That gave us a converted try 6 point lead but a sublime touchline conversion from Tickle made it 30-22 and game over! Richards added a second penalty goal in the last seconds to complete a 32-22 win.
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