Wigan eventually prevailed in another nail biting contest at Douglas Valley which shredded the nerves of both sets of supporters.
Manchester made all the early running, buoyed by 3 consecutive league wins , and aided by a string of unforced Wigan errors. Thus it was no surprise when they finally breached Wigan's defence for a try beneath the posts. They nearly doubled their advantage before the break but were held up over the line by brave defence. Wigan's best moment in a forgettable half came when a 50 metre Martin Gambles break saw Jon Chamberlain hauled down close to the line.
Wigan wrested back the initiative after the break and pressured the resolute Manchester defence until they had a man dispatched to the bin. Manchester took full advantage of this and converted 2 penalties in quick succession for a 13 point advantage.
Wigan were now looking down the barrel but managed to get back in the contest as a powerful break by Peter Rigby found supporting John Foster who put Danny Winrow over in the corner. Andy Whittle hit what proved to be a crucial conversion from the touchline.
Sensing that the tide had turned Wigan came strong again and, from a line out in the Manchester 22, Mike Rigby threaded his way through to the posts giving Whittle a much simpler conversion. The drama was not yet over as Manchester failed with 2 difficult penalty attempts as the clock ran down but Wigan held on for a victory which owed much to collective determination and team spirit.