Wigan ended their losing sequence in engage Super League by seeing off a determined Widnes at a chilly Halton Stadium.

Denis Betts' side, who had lost their previous two matches, once again failed to sparkle but had enough to overcome the resistance of a spirited Vikings team crammed full of ex-Warriors.

After a poor first hour Wigan finally began to look like title contenders and scored three punishing tries through hooker Terry Newton and makeshift centre Kevin Brown, twice, in a nine-minute spell.

The Vikings have now lost three of their four matches this season but will be encouraged by this performance, even though they were eventually put to the sword.

Widnes began like a side hungry to avenge their humiliating 66-8 defeat at Leeds last weekend and opened the scoring in the fourth minute.

Former Warrior Gary Connolly spun a well-timed pass out to winger Stephen Rowlands, who breezed past opposite wing Martin Aspinwall to touch down. Rowlands converted his own try.

Spurred on by a vocal crowd, the Vikings were dominating the visitors up front, with Wigan guilty of missing first-up tackles and conceding a series of penalties.

From one such penalty, Rowlands knocked over a 20-metre kick before the Warriors finally awoke from their torpor and registered their opening try after 16 minutes.

Having slung the ball out from one wing to the other, Newton provided the cutting edge, slipping a short pass to the on-rushing Bob Beswick who glided over. Danny Tickle converted.

Rowlands added another penalty before Wigan drew level in the 30th minute. Danny Orr made a devastating break before being brought down 10 metres out.

Scrum-half Dennis Moran picked up and fired a sublime kick to the corner where Aspinwall rose highest to receive and ground for his first try of the season.

The introduction of Danny Sculthorpe from the bench seemed to revitalise Wigan and from one of his breaks, the Vikings infringed and Tickle slotted over a penalty from close range to give Wigan the lead for the first time.

Frank Endacott's side regained the lead three minutes after the break when Owen Craigie set up second-row forward Simon Finnigan, who powered over from five metres out.

Things got worse for Wigan when they conceded their third try after 51 minutes.

Again their tackling was sub-standard as scrum-half Gary Hulse ripped through the gain line.

Prop Julian O'Neill showed great awareness to pop the ball out to Andrew Emelio who managed to break off the shackles of Brett Dallas and clamber over to score for the second match running.

Tempers started to fray as the Warriors struggled to stamp their authority on the encounter and referee Richard Silverwood was forced to talk to both captains after three feisty clashes between both sets of forwards.

Rowlands made it 20-12 with another penalty before Newton breathed new life into his side with Wigan's third try.

The Great Britain international was on hand to receive an offload and drive over after Sean O'Loughlin had pierced the line.

Betts' outfit had the whip hand and the comeback was complete in the 67th minute when Brown collected a cheeky Moran kick and gleefully touched down. Tickle added the extras to make it 24-20 to Wigan.

Widnes were a spent force as they began to miss tackles of their own, allowing Brown to add his second try of the match five minutes later.

Beswick was the architect as he smashed through and passed onto the 20-year-old, who sprinted over.

The match was won and a further Tickle penalty made it safe for the Warriors.