Relegation-threatened Wigan grabbed a survival lifeline with a precious victory over the Catalans in a tense, error-strewn engage Super League basement clash at the JJB Stadium.

With owner Dave Whelan insisting the club have no plans to resort to financial inducements in order to keep their top-flight status, the Warriors must win their battle on the field and they took the first tentative steps on that road.

With both sides scoring three tries, Wigan were indebted to scrum-half Michael Dobson, who kicked six goals from as many attempts against his former team-mates.

It was a jittery display but Brian Noble's men fully deserved their third win of the season, which puts them within four points of the Dragons.

However, the newly-formed French side are immune from relegation this season so the Warriors must climb two places if they are to pull off the great escape.

The day began badly for Wigan, who were cast further adrift following surprise wins by their nearest relegation rivals, Wakefield and Castleford.

And they made the worst possible start, conceding a try after just 52 seconds, with prop Chris Beattie ploughing over from Julien Rinaldi's short pass.

Wigan, who had Kris Radlinski making his comeback at centre, understandably looked nervous in the opening quarter, with Bryan Fletcher's early error proving costly and the equally experienced Nathan McAvoy twice losing the ball in the tackle.

Referee Steve Ganson, cleared by the Wigan doctor just before kick-off after being involved in a car accident on his way to the game, also punished them heavily for a series of lapses in discipline.

They began to settle once hooker Mick Higham dummied his way over for an equalising try on 13 minutes and McAvoy made amends for his earlier blunders by gathering Dobson's perfectly-judged grubber kick to score a second on 22 minutes.

But the Catalans were in no mood to roll over and they ought to have scored again when winger Bruno Verges and John Wilson both converged on Sean Rudder's clever kick into space but contrived between them to fluff the easy chance.

They made no mistake, however, when Wigan winger Pat Richards failed to clear another of Rudder's kicks and Verges pounced on the ball just before it rolled over the dead-ball line.

Stacey Jones' second conversion, this time from the touchline, levelled the scores but Dobson, who remains the Dragons' leading points-scorer from his 12-week stint in the south of France, edged Wigan into a 16-12 lead with two penalties late in the half.

A lively run from second rower Gareth Hock kept Wigan in the ascendancy and Dobson kicked a third penalty 10 minutes into the second half to stretch his side's lead to six points.

It might have been more but stand-off Danny Orr failed to take Scott Logan's pass with the tryline beckoning.

The Warriors were still showing signs of anxiety but there were visible signs of relief when Fletcher took Higham's pass from dummy half to crash over for a crucial try on 59 minutes.

Dobson maintained his 100 per cent record by kicking his sixth goal to extend his side's lead to 24-12 before centre John Wilson grabbed a consolation try for the visitors, which was goaled by Lauren Frayssinous.