Fine recovery gives Elland points

Karl Fairbank’s side scrambled through 26-24 after trailing 18-0. Fullback James Marshall levelled the scores late on and Cayci Pearson added the all-important conversion.

The first half was a scrappy affair with neither side managing to complete a set.

Wigan looked set to score after 12 minutes, a nice dummy catching Elland unawares, but a forward pass caused the chance to be lost.

Wigan continued to attack and were rewarded from a grubber kick. A lucky bounce enabled a supporting player to score under the posts.

Poor tackling shortly after allowed Saints to add another converted try and Elland were unable to take advantage of a good restart and a scrum five metres out due to poor handling.

When Wigan broke through again and went under the posts Elland had a mountain to climb at 0-18.

Two minutes before half time Greg Broadbent finally put Elland on the score board with a try converted by Pearson.

The home side started the stronger in the second half and good passing enabled them to restore their 18-point lead.

Elland were getting frustrated and Oliver Fairbank was yellow carded.

However, Judd Fairbank crashed over the line, although there were plenty of Wigan supporters who thought that he had been stopped short. A missed conversion left the score at 24–10.

Elland pulled back six points when a kick through was touched down just before the ball went dead for another converted try.

It was Wigan’s turn to start feeling the heat and a player was sin-binned for dissent.

Elland took advantage of their man advantage, Ben Anderson making a good break through the centre to set up play for Joe Fradgley to score. That made it 24-20 with the conversion missed.

A foot in touch denied Saints a try and two sets later Marshall tried the score, Pearson’s kick putting Elland in front for the first time.

The hosts had lost all control now and a foiled attack resulted in a red card for dissent, followed shortly after by a penalty on half way which Pearson missed.