Catalans Dragons survived a spirited fightback from the Wakefield WIldcats in Saturday night's engage Super League elimination play-off to secure a trip to Huddersfield next Friday.

The Dragons opened the scoring in the 30th minute through Vincent Duport and Olivier Elima and Dimitri Pelo added quickfire scores before the break.

Pelo claimed his second seven minutes after the restart and with influential scrum-half Thomas Bosc kicking three goals, Kevin Walters' men were well in control at 22-6.

Yet Wakefield responded impressively and hit back with tries from Luke George (two) and Ryan Atkins to cut the gap to six points with seven minutes remaining to ensure a tense finish.

However, Bosc settled French nerves with a 77th-minute drop-goal and a last-minute penalty.

Wakefield were missing scrum-half Danny Brough due to a hip injury and it showed as they offered precious little genuine attacking threat in the opening period.

Catalans gradually assumed a foothold on proceedings and a series of sweeping moves threatened to cut Wakefield apart.

One such sequence in the 11th minute led to Duport touching down in the right corner but the score was rightly disallowed by video referee Steve Ganson for an earlier obstruction.

Catalans earned their play-off berth with a stirring 24-12 win at St Helens last Friday and they showed enough attacking promise at Belle Vue to suggest they could move one step closer to the Grand Final on October 10.

They largely pinned Wakefield back in their own half but failed to make their territorial dominance pay and the pendulum gradually swung in the hosts' favour as the opening period progressed.

Atkins posed the Wildcats' most potent threat and a period of sustained home pressure forced Catalans to concede a penalty in the 24th minute.

Brad Drew kicked the goal to edge Wakefield 2-0 ahead but Catalans were not fazed in the slightest and fashioned a delightful try in the 30th minute.

The Dragons played the ball out wide on the last tackle in a sweeping move which saw the ball pass through five pairs of hands and culminated in Duport touching down in the right corner.

Bosc failed to convert from the touchline but it should have got better for Catalans moments later when another promising move was ended by an errant forward pass.

Yet five minutes before the break Catalans had their second try when Adam Mogg brilliantly glided between Jason Demetriou and Drew and ushered Elima over from close range.

Two minutes later, Mogg fed Clint Greenshields and he showed intelligence to send Pelo in at the left corner, while Bosc converted both tries to send his side in at the break with a 16-2 advantage.

It got better for Catalans seven minutes after the break when Pelo showed brute strength to touch down in the left corner for his second try of the match.

Bosc added the extras but Wakefield replied four minutes later when Luke George showed remarkable speed to outstrip a clutch of visiting defenders down the left flank before touching down in the corner.

Drew failed to add the extras but Wakefield claimed their second try in the 61st minute when George found Atkins bursting clear down the left wing.

Drew missed the goal again but Wakefield at least had hope at 10-22, and George went over with six minutes remaining in the same spot he had touched down in earlier.

Drew converted but Mogg had the final say three minutes from time with a well-executed drop-goal and then a penalty on the hooter.