Wigan produce
storming fightback

Official English Super League Round 20 game report - Saturday 9 July 2005. Full time: Wigan 36 Warrington 17.

Wigan produce storming fightback

Wigan produced a stirring second-half comeback to get their engage Super League play-off bid back on track with a pulsating 36-17 win over Warrington.

The high-flying Wolves had looked on course for their first win at the JJB Stadium, and an eighth victory in succession, as they opened up an 11-4 lead in the first half.

But Wigan hit back in a dramatic second period, the lead changing hands three times before Wayne Godwin and Liam Colbon tries settled the game.

Terry Newton then put the seal on a fine performance, which helped ease the pain of last month?s record hammerings by Leeds and St Helens, with a sixth Wigan try in the last minute. Danny Tickle kicked six goals.

Warrington looked the better side early on, although it was Wigan who had the first serious scoring opportunity when full-back Chris Melling broke from a Dennis Moran pass and Stephen Wild spilled his offload.

The Warriors immediately paid for that as Brent Grose broke the line from the resulting scrum and quickly hit top gear to sprint 90 metres unopposed for the opening try. Chris Bridge added the conversion from in front of the posts.

Wigan?s response was swift as they took advantage of Paul Wood?s failure to hold the ball in a tackle to pull four points back.

Moran created and finished the try as he chased his own grubber kick to touch down.

Yet Wigan remained vulnerable to the counter-attack and Danny Lima caught them out with a powerful run. Jon Clarke kept the attack going and Martin Gleeson dived over in the corner but he lost control as he tried to ground the ball.

Gleeson went close again after racing on to a Bridge kick but Moran just did enough to avert danger and David Vaealiki tidied up behind him.

Wigan had another chance when Colbon found space on the right but he lost the ball under pressure.

Warrington finished the half in the ascendancy when Toa Kohe-Love powered over on the left from a Mike Wainwright pass.

Bridge missed that conversion but added a drop goal with the final kick of the half to put the Wolves ahead 11-4.

The game resumed at the same fierce tempo after the break but Wigan threw the game back into the balance by claiming the next try.

The score came after Warrington conceded possession in dangerous territory and Dave Allen put Melling over with a superb offload following a Newton pass.

Tickle, who like Newton had started on the bench, converted to bring Wigan back within a point.

Wigan maintained the momentum and another try quickly followed after a well-worked move, the ball going through several pairs of hands before Brett Dallas exchanged passes with Tickle to go over.

Tickle added the extras but Warrington were not behind for long as Bridge jinked his way through four tackles to score under the posts.

He then converted to put Warrington back ahead at 17-16 but the game swung back in Wigan?s favour 12 minutes from time when Godwin spun away from dummy-half and forced his way over.

Colbon then claimed the decisive try eight minutes from time when Dean Gaskell backed away from a crossfield kick from Danny Orr, allowing him to score in the corner.

Tickle converted to put Wigan in sight of a first Super League home win since April and then repeated the trick after Newton forced his way over with 20 seconds remaining.

Wigan: Melling, Colbon, Aspinwall, Vaealiki, Dallas, Orr, Moran, Hargreaves, Godwin, Guisset, Allen, Wild, Botham. Replacements: Tickle, Seu Seu, Newton, Hansen.

Warrington: Grose, Fa'afili, M. Gleeson, Kohe-Love, Gaskell, Bridge, N. Wood, P. Wood, Clarke, Leikvoll, Wainwright, Swann, Westwood. Replacements: M. Gleeson, Lima, Noone, Pickersgill.

Wigan: (4) 36. Tries: Moran, Melling, Dallas, Godwin, Colbon, Newton. Goals: Tickle 6.

Warrington: (11) 17. Tries: Grose, Kohe-Love, Bridge. Goals: Bridge 2. Drop Goals: Bridge.

Referee: Richard Silverwood (Dewsbury) Att: 14,162

Thanks to www.superleague.co.uk for this great article.