Challenge Cup: Wigan 14-12 Warrington – Warriors hold on with 12 men

Wigan Warriors demonstrated tremendous resilience and secured a spot in the Challenge Cup semi-finals despite playing most of the game with only 12 players. In a memorable clash against the Warrington Wolves, Wigan emerged as victors with a final score of 14-12.

The turning point of the game occurred early on when Wigan’s Kaide Ellis received a red card in the sixth minute for engaging in a confrontation with Stefan Ratchford. However, the defending champions didn’t let this setback dampen their spirits. They took an 8-0 lead with a try from Toby King, who was on loan from Warrington, and two successful conversions by Harry Smith.

Although Warrington’s Joe Bullock managed to score a try after the break, bolstered by Ratchford’s conversion, Wigan responded swiftly with a crucial converted try from Abbas Miski to solidify their lead. Josh Thewlis raised Warrington’s hopes by scoring another try, once again improved by Ratchford’s successful conversion. In the 79th minute, Warrington appeared to have secured victory when Thewlis crossed the line for the third time, but the referee disallowed the try due to a forward pass.

Wigan’s triumph secured them a place in the semi-finals, where they would face Hull KR. Meanwhile, St Helens would take on either Leigh or York in the other semi-final match. Harry Smith was instrumental in Wigan’s success, landing all three of his kicks at goal, including a challenging one from the touchline.

Neither team entered the game in peak form, as both had suffered two defeats in their previous three Super League matches. However, the magic of the Challenge Cup often reinvigorates teams, especially when they are local rivals with a rich history.

The match ignited after just six minutes when Kaide Ellis, an Australian loose forward for Wigan, needlessly clashed with Stefan Ratchford, resulting in a confrontation that saw blood coming from Ratchford’s nose. Surprisingly, it was Wigan who struck first with a try from Toby King, facilitated by Smith’s crossfield kick and Miski’s excellent aerial play. Smith successfully converted the try and added a penalty in the 22nd minute. Liam Marshall came close to extending Wigan’s lead but was denied by an exceptional tackle from Thewlis.

Wigan valiantly defended against Warrington’s error-prone attacks until the 53rd minute when Joe Bullock bulldozed over the try line, and Ratchford converted the try from a close position. Wigan swiftly reestablished their eight-point advantage when Miski showcased his athleticism by diving over in the right corner, followed by a brilliant touchline conversion by Smith.

With seven minutes remaining, Sam Kasiano’s clever flick set up Thewlis, who eluded defenders and scored to the right of the posts. However, Thewlis was denied a potential match-winning try in the dying moments as the match officials disallowed it.

Wigan’s lineup consisted of Field, Miski, King, Wardle, Marshall, French, Smith, Havard, O’Neill, Byrne, Shorrocks, Farrell, and Ellis. Their interchanges were Cust, Singleton, Smithies, and Hill. Warrington fielded Dufty, Thewlis, Wrench, Ratchford, Ashton, Mata’utia, Williams, Dudson, Walker, Vaughan, Currie, Harrison, and Kasiano. Their interchanges included Clark, Philbin, Bullock, and Green. The referee for the match was Liam Moore.

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More about Challenge Cup semifinals

• Betfred Challenge Cup Official Website
• Wigan Warriors Official Website
• Warrington Wolves Official Website
• Challenge Cup Semi-Finals Preview (Example link, replace with relevant source)