Wigan 27 (15) Tries: Vaealiki 2, Newton, Brown Goals: Tickle (5) Drop Goal: O'Loughlin Bradford 28 (6) Tries: Langley, Harris, Peacock, Reardon, Withers Goals: Deacon (4)

Tries by David Vaealiki and Terry Newton, plus goals by Danny Tickle, gave the home side a 15-6 half-time lead at the JJB Stadium.

But Iestyn Harris' opportunist try gave the Bulls a sliver of hope - and they fought back to stunning effect.

Jamie Peacock and Michael Withers touched down before Paul Deacon's late goal sealed an amazing comeback win.

Wigan looked to be heading for a comfortable victory with 60 minutes gone.

Vaealiki gave the home side the perfect start when he beat ex-Warrior Paul Johnson in a one-on-one tackle to go over for the opening score.

Newton then followed up his own kick to add a second after a lucky bounce off the post.

Sean O'Loughlin's sin-binning allowed Bradford back into the game, Jamie Langley stretching over the line to touch down and Deacon converting.

When we start doing the things we practice, we are going to be a force in this competition. Bradford's Brian Noble

But two Tickle goals and O'Loughlin's 40-metre drop goal gave Wigan a sizeable half-time cushion.

Things looked bleak for Bradford when Johnson was sin-binned for a professional foul on Brett Dallas.

Then Vaealiki's second try seemed to have put Wigan out of reach only for Bradford to reduce the arrears through Harris.

Kevin Brown's impressive run and score restored Wigan's lead but Peacock and Stuart Reardon went over for tries to keep Bradford in the hunt.

Deacon failed to convert Reardon's try, which looked like it could prove costly.

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But when Harris set up Withers to touch down and level the scores, Deacon made no mistake with the extras to round off a thrilling victory.

Despite the last gasp nature of their victory, Bulls coach Brian Noble said he had never been worried that they would lose.

They showed you don't become world champions by being also-rans Wigan's Denis Betts

"This shows the team's character is intact. When we start doing the things we practice, we are going to be a force in this competition," said Noble.

"We fully deserved it. I didn't think we'd lose because of the way the team were speaking in the changing room."

Wigan boss Denis Betts admitted the Bulls' big-match experience and his own team's youthfulness had proved the difference between the sides.

"We did everything but win the game," he said. "They got a sniff towards the end and showed you don't become world champions by being also-rans.

"Once you get a taste for it, you know how to win and they came after us.

"There was a lot of inexperience out there. We won the game, but we just couldn't control the last 10 minutes."

Wigan: Radlinski, Aspinwall, Wild, Vaealiki, Dallas, Orr, Moran, Sculthorpe, Newton, Guisset, Hock, Tickle, O'Loughlin. Replacements: Brown, Allen, Godwin, Beswick.

Bradford: Withers, Reardon, Johnson, L. Pryce, Vainikolo, Harris, Deacon, Vagana, Paul, Fielden, Peacock, Radford, Langley. Replacements: Pratt, Meyers, Parker, Lynch.