Wakefield looked home and dry at the interval, having opened up a 26-10 lead, but Catalans fought back.

It took a second try of the match from Damien Blanch to reassert Wakefield in the match and stem the flow of points from the home side – and Danny Brough's late goal gave the visitors a six-point cushion.

Catalans were without a host of regulars for the match, their last at home in the season before the play-offs, and it showed as Wildcats dominated the first half.

Sean Gleeson, Blanch and Brough crossed for early tries as the visitors made the best start imaginable following their long trip. Ryan Atkins also touched down before the break, leaving the Dragons with a mountain to climb. Julien Touxagas and Aaron Gorrell replied with tries for the hosts.

Wakefield went into the match on the back of eight consecutive defeats, the latest of which came at Wigan eight days previously.

They even had to deny earlier this month that coach John Kear had resigned amid the calamitous run of results, which included a defeat to Hull in the Carnegie Challenge Cup
semi-finals.

Victory at the Stade Gilbert Brutus will lift spirits, but the second half was at times a struggle for the Wildcats.

Olivier Elima, Jean-Philippe Baile, Sebastien Raguin and Thomas Bosc responded to New Zealand star Tevita Leo-Latu's early try and the momentum looked to be with Catalans as the match reached its climax.

However, Blanch took the heat off shortly after Bosc had kicked Catalans on to level terms and Brough made sure Wakefield would return to Yorkshire with a victory by slotting his late goal.

Catalans Dragons: Greenshields, Murphy, Khattabi, Raguin, Pelo, Mogg, Bosc, Elima, Gorrell, Guisset, Baile, Carlaw, Touxagas. Substitutes: Griffi, Duport, K Bentley, Quintilla.

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats: Grix, Blanch, Gleeson, Atkins, Petersen, Rooney, Brough, Bibey, Drew, Sculthorpe, Wilkes, MacGillivray, Demetriou. Substitutes: Reilly, Watene, Henderson, Leo-Latu.

Referee: P Bentham (Warrington).