Wigan: (6) 20
Tries: Vaealiki, Leuluai, Colbon
Goals: Richards (4)

St Helens: (10) 12
Tries: Talau, Gardner
Goals: Wellens (2)

Wigan clinched a place in the Super League play-offs in thrilling fashion as they earned their first win over St Helens since Good Friday 2005.

David Vaealiki's sprint in to score cancelled out Willie Talau's try before Ade Gardner connected with Leon Pryce's high ball to restore Saints' lead.

Thomas Leuluai's try after the break gave Wigan a dream start before Paul Wellens' penalty put Saints level.

But Liam Colbon touched down from Vaealiki's pass to seal a famous win.

Wigan went into the game knowing that they had to end a run of eight successive defeats against their bitter rivals to reach the play-offs, while Warrington, their rivals for a play-off spot, faced an easier task at relegated Salford.

Handling errors by Keiron Cunningham and Mike Bennett cost both sides early scoring chances as the game began at a high tempo.

Pryce's long pass wide to Talau ensured Saints opened the scoring, but it was a short-lived lead.

Vaealiki put Wigan back on terms when he broke from deep inside his own half and dummied a pass to Mark Calderwood, which left Wellens sprawling and allowed him to nip in and score.

Gardner restored Saints' lead in the dying minutes of the first half, and once again Pryce was the provider.

He put a high bomb into the right-hand corner and Gardner timed his huge leap to perfection to catch and touch down in one movement.

Wigan needed a strong response after the restart and it came courtesy of Leuluai, who was on hand to finish off after Iafeta Paleaaesina's superb solo run.

Calderwood then thought he had stretched that lead when he went over on the right, only to be see it ruled out for offside against Leuluai.

Wellens kicked what turned out to be Saints' only second-half points after Phil Bailey conceded a penalty in front of the posts.

Wigan hit back again when Vaealiki's reverse pass allowed Colbon to touch down from inches out and, although Pat Richards missed the conversion, he added a penalty to push Wigan out of Saints' reach.

"I'm really pleased they're in the six (play-offs) because I think they deserve it.

"They've played some excellent rugby this year and they came up with the result at the right time.

"We are unbeaten in five games and know how to win. We have started our play-off surge tonight because it was a do-or-die effort."

"Wigan played better than us. I don't know if there was a difference in desire but they played with a lot of passion and hunger and were very strong.

"We were disappointed with our intelligence in the game and we got caught up in plays that were not what we do.

"But in the end their kicking game poleaxed us. We had very little field position and no momentum at all."

Wigan: Richards, Calderwood, Bailey, Vaealiki, Colbon, Barrett, Leuluai, Fielden, Millard, Paleaaesina, Hansen, Fletcher, O'Loughlin. Replacements: Higham, Hock, Prescott, Goulding.

St Helens: Wellens, Gardner, Gidley, Talau, Meli, Pryce, Wilkin, Graham, Cunningham, Cayless, Gilmour, Bennett, Flannery. Replacements: Roby, Hargreaves, Clough, Fa'asavalu.

Referee: A Klein (London)