Super League: Wigan Warriors edge Warrington Wolves to Grand Final
Last Updated: 06/10/14 10:58am
A last-gasp try from Joe Burgess booked Wigan a Super League Grand Final with St Helens after a pulsating 16-12 win over valiant Warrington at the DW Stadium.
Shaun Wane's Warriors dominated the opening exchanges but took only a slender lead into half-time - allowing an inspired Warrington fightback to threaten extra-time before Burgess' opportunist finish sent the hosts to the Old Trafford showpiece next Saturday.
Wigan set their stall out early and the Wolves had already been forced into some dogged defence by the time Matty Smith opened the scoring with an eighth-minute penalty kick - the visitors' difficult start compounded by seeing Chris Bridge limp off with a groin injury.
The one-way traffic continued - Michael McIlorum held up by Rhys Evans when attempting to dive over from close range and Liam Farrell even closer in crossing the whitewash only for a brilliant Richie Myler challenge to prevent him grounding the ball.
Persistence eventually paid off in the 24th minute when Sean O'Loughlin drew three defenders and sent Blake Green into the space required to throw a dummy and scamper through the defensive line on halfway. The timing of the pass to the supporting Joel Tomkins was perfect and a routine finish under the posts provided Smith with a routine conversion and Warriors with an 8-0 lead.
A manic five minutes preceded the half-time whistle as two strokes of fortune helped Warrington back into the game.
Miscommunication saw a Gareth O'Brien pass ricochet off the chest of James Laithwaite and into the in-goal area, leaving Ryan Atkins to drag full-back Matty Bowen back over the try-line and ensure Warrington retained possession via a Wigan 20m drop-out.
Similar incident
A similar incident then saw the underdogs snatch a try two minutes before the interval - Myler's pass flicking the face of Ben Currie at close-range and bouncing into the in-goal area. This time it was Joel Monaghan who reacted fastest, getting a hand down onto the ball in the corner.
Stefan Ratchford was unable to add the extras from out wide but Tony Smith's side were grateful to enter the dressing room with the deficit halved.
Three penalties early in the second half - for holding by O'Loughlin and two clumsy high tackles by Tony Clubb - handed further momentum to a buzzing Warrington side and hesitation from Bowen under a fairly innocuous high-ball allowed O'Brien to collect his own kick, touch down and boot an easy conversion for a 10-8 lead.
The Wigan response came in the form of a searing 50th-minute run from Burgess, who glided past would-be tacklers to send Wigan deep into enemy territory, only for Bowen to spill possession in trying to burst over the line at the next tackle.
A phenomenal move down the touchline involving a flying Burgess, Farrell and Dan Sarginson then put Warrington on the back foot again and this time there was no let-off as Smith switched the ball to the opposite side and Anthony Gelling burst through the final tackler to touch down. Smith failed with the extras from the touchline but the game had swung once more.
Errors began to creep into the Wolves' game with Mickey Higham and Chris Hill guilty of uncharacteristic knock-ons in their own territory. The former quickly atoned, however - his trademark 65th-minute burst prompting Farrell to hold on too long and surrender a penalty that Ratchford hoofed over to level the scores at 12-12.
Smith attempted to edge Warriors ahead moments later with a crisply-struck drop goal that flew just wide from some way out as the game entered the final 10 minutes with the sides deadlocked and both defences exhausted yet conscious of the cost of any mistake.
O'Brien was way off with a hurried attempted drop-goal of his own while at the other end, Michael Monaghan charged down Smith's second shy at goal and did enough to distract the Warriors half-back into pulling his third wide before Myler wastefully sliced wide from more favourable range.
Confusion reigned three minutes from time. Atkins had the ball booted out of his hands on halfway by Gelling, who seized the moment and sped towards the try-line - committing the retreating defenders and then looping a pass for Sarginson to touch down. Wigan fans went wild, but the game was brought back for a forward pass.
It proved merely a stay of execution for Wolves, though, as Burgess capped an electric second-half performance by collecting O'Loughlin's slick pass, cutting in off the touchline and wriggling forward to touch the ball onto the line amid desperate tackles. Bowen failed to convert but the game was won and Wolves hearts broken.
