Calderwood caps a wonderful week for Leeds

Wigan Warriors 22 Leeds Rhinos 28

It has been a wonderful week for Leeds, who followed up their victory over Bradford by outlasting Wigan in a game of fluctuating fortunes at the JJB Stadium.

A match in which the lead changed hands eight times finally resolved itself in the Rhinos' favour with tries from Adrian Vowles and Mark Calderwood; this time, Wigan could not come back.

Second place in the Super League table was the prize for the winners of this match and, having beaten the leaders, the Bradford Bulls, at the weekend, it was predictable that Leeds would continue with the successful experiment of playing their stand-off Ben Walker at full-back.

Wigan made a horrible start, Brett Dallas uncharacteristically losing the ball as he carried it away from his try-line in the first minute. Kevin Sinfield snapped it up and gave Mark Calderwood the chance to score in the corner.

Leeds' bright start was spoiled somewhat by Tonie Carroll getting himself sent to the sin-bin for dissent after he lost the ball. More indiscipline cost Leeds two points when Barrie McDermott took Adrian Lam obviously late, and Andy Farrell kicked the penalty.

Wigan continued to repair the early damage and took the lead for the first time after 18 minutes, with Lam's jinking run unhinging the Leeds defence and Kris Radlinski, as he does so often, arriving in support to score.

Walker trimmed that lead with another penalty as the match remained delicately balanced. Both sides threatened down the flanks but could not break through.

A tricky grubber-kick from Lam caught Leeds offside for Farrell to edge Wigan further ahead. And Lam continued finding ominous gaps down the middle of the Leeds defence with his twinkling footwork; however, another clean break went to waste when Julian O'Neill could not hold his pass with the line open.

That omission looked more damaging when Leeds scored to recapture the lead before half-time. Wigan endured a comedy of errors, allowing Ryan Sheridan's kick to drop over their heads when they thought it would go dead. Instead it bounced infield and came off Radlinski's knees as he tried to regather, allowing Keith Senior to pounce on the ball and run through to touch down. Walker's twice-taken conversion put his side ahead at the break.

Wigan struck back after 48 minutes, Stephen Wild taking Farrell's pass to go over. But the ebb and flow continued, with Karl Pratt getting to Sheridan's kick.

David Hodgson's try meant that the lead changed hands yet again, and if he had not had one disallowed on video scrutiny two minutes later the outcome could have been very different.

As it was Vowles got away from Wild's tackle and Walker's kick gave Leeds the lead once more. Their defence held and Vowles supplied the pass for Calderwood to go in with eight minutes remaining.

Wigan: Radlinski; Carney, Connolly, Hodgson, Dallas, O'Neill, Lam, O'Connor, Newton, C Smith, Jones, Wild, Farrell. Substitutes: Howard, Bibey, O'Loughlin, M Smith.

Leeds: Walker, Calderwood, Carroll, Senior, Cummins, Sinfield, Sheridan, Ward, Diskin, McDermott, Hay, Jones-Buchanan, Vowles. Substitutes: Morton, McDonald, Pratt, Burrow.

Referee: S Ganson (St Helens).