IT may not have been high quality rugby league but there was drama aplenty as Wakefield edged past Widnes 18-16 at the Select Security Stadium.

Two sendings-off, four sin-binnings and a last minute score to settle the match; it was breathless stuff.`

Widnes went into the game without several of their playmaking options with injured trio Kevin Brown, Tom Gilmore and Chris Bridge watching from the sidelines.

Vikings coach Denis Betts solved his half-back conundrum by slotting Aaron Heremaia in alongside Joe Mellor; for a while at least.

Widnes enjoyed all the early pressure but struggled to come up with the killer play in the face of some committed Wildcats defence.

On eight minutes, what initially looked like a superb hit by winger Patrick Ah Van on Wakefield centre Ashley Gibson earned the big New Zealander, after a hiatus, a sin-binning.

When Ah Van returned from the bin things got really heated.

He was greeted by a high tackle on his first carry which kicked off a brawl that saw Heremaia and Wildcats hooker Scott Moore red carded. Ah Van meantime was led from the field looking distinctly groggy.

In the 28th minute the Vikings had a chance to score on both flanks but Stefan Marsh couldn't get over on the left and Chris Dean was bundled into touch on the right.

It was the Wildcats who eventually opened the scoring six minutes before the break when back-rower Anthony Tupou picked up a loose ball and crashed in despite Rhys Hanbury's best efforts. Liam Finn added the extras.

Ah Van, back on the field again, went close a minute before the break but the ball had gone forward in the build-up.

As the half-time hooter sounded Finn slotted over a penalty goal for interference at the play-the-ball to make it 8-0.

The Vikings hit back four minutes after the restart when Charly Runciman received the ball in unpromising looking circumstances 40 metres out and handed off two would-be tacklers before finishing off a superb solo try up the left flank.

A further Finn penalty for the visitors gave them a 10-4 lead but Widnes soon levelled things up.

The equalising try came when Gil Dudson briliantly offloaded to send fellow prop Eamon O'Carroll under the posts for a six-pointer.

Back-to-back handling errors coming out of their own end were compounded by another soft penalty conceded which allowed Finn to slot his third penalty goal and re-take the lead for his side at 12-10.

To make matters worse Lloyd White became the second Viking to be sin-binned after another indiscretion at the play-the-ball.

Despite being a man down the Vikings hit the front when Hanbury sliced through from close range for a try which he converted himself to give his side a 16-12 lead and become the Vikings record Super League points scorer with 378.

It always looked a precarious lead and when Marsh was sin-binned with two minutes to go Widnes couldn't hold out and Craig Hall crossed for Wakefield and improved the angle sufficiently for Finn to land the winning conversion in the last minute.

A heart-breaker for Widnes and their fans.

Widnes: Hanbury; Thompson, Marsh, Runciman, Ah Van; Mellor, Heremaia; O'Carroll, White, Dudson, Dean, Houston, Cahill. Subs: Sa, Manuokafoa, Leuluai, Whitley.

Wakefield: Jowitt; Jones-Bishop, Gibson, Hall, Johnstone; Miller, Finn; Scruton, Moore, Arona, Kirmond, Ashurst, A Tupou. Subs: Annakin, Simon, Howarth, Yates.

Referee: J Cobb.

Half-time: 0-8.

Attendance: 4,398.