Wolves stave off Crusaders

Celtic Crusaders remain rooted to the foot of the engage Super League after an agonising 27-22 defeat to Warrington at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.

The Super League newcomers were on course for an historic first win, leading 22-16 with just three minutes remaining, only to be denied by a Lee Briers drop goal and late Chris Hicks try.

Hick's try sealed a second successive win for Wolves while the Crusaders were left to reflect on the ultimately decisive sin-binning for prop forward Ryan O'Hara eight minutes from the end.

Crusaders' record in their debut Super League season now moves to seven defeats from seven games, however this result was tough on the Welsh newcomers, who looked the more dangerous side for most of the match.

The visitors conceded the first try after only four minutes, Briers and Louis Anderson working the ball out wide for centre Simon Grix to go over, but hit back with two tries in a four-minute spell.

Left winger Anthony Blackwood finished off a sparkling handling move and hooker Lincoln Withers pounced on Matty Smith's grubber kick to claim his first try for the club.

Pressure

Josh Hannay added both conversions to put his side 12-6 ahead and it would have been worse for the Wolves but for a last-ditch tackle by full-back Chris Riley, who tracked back to halt an 80-metre break by stand-off Damien Quinn.

Warrington drew level when Briers, playing at scrum-half in the absence of Michael Monaghan, took an offload from impressive substitute Paul Wood and rounded full-back Tony Duggan.

But the Crusaders edged back in front three minutes before half-time when Hannay took Quinn's fine, long pass to force his way over for a third try and added the goal.

The game continued to fluctuate in an entertaining second half. Both Hicks and Wood were held up over the line but the pressure told when Matt King took Lee Mitchell's pass to finish strongly for a try.

King then turned try-saver, racing back to haul Withers down just short of the line, but the Wolves were unable to re-organise their defence in time to prevent Luke Dyer taking Darren Mapp's pass to cross at the corner.

Matty Smith's conversion attempt came back off an upright and Warrington levelled the scores for a second time on the hour when substitute Mitchell took Martin Gleeson's pass out of the tackle to touch down for a converted try.

The Crusaders were dealt a major blow when scrum-half Smith went off with a foot injury 13 minutes from the end and they were reduced to 12 men after 72 minutes when O'Hara was shown the yellow card for holding Riley down in the tackle.

A draw would have been a fair result but Briers broke the Crusaders' hearts with his one-pointer and Hicks made sure of the win with a fifth try two minutes from the end.