Warrington Wolves 22 – Wigan Warriors 22
A TRY in the closing minutes from Wire hooker Danielle Bounds salvaged a point for Warrington Wolves against the Wigan Warriors in a game that will have left the home side wondering how they didn’t win.
The Wolves went into break 16-6 ahead in a game which marked their first appearance in the Women’s Super League One, but lost the lead during an eight minute purple patch half way through the second half when the visitors ran in three unanswered tries.
In front of a healthy crowd at the Asics Stadium, Wigan had taken an early lead despite a strong start from the Wire. Loose forward Victoria Molyneux pounced on a mistake by winger Abigail Johnston from a high bomb to power over the try line. Full back Beri Salihi converted to make it 6-0.
Wire were level eight minutes later, after a period of pressure in which stand-off Michelle Davis started to take control of the game. One of her kicks near the line was grounded in goal and centre Sammy Simpson ran the ball back in from the short drop out, with Davis converting.
After Wigan were penalised for a high shot on 17 minutes, a good run by Johnston ended with a move that saw Armani Sharrock burst over the line, taking a handful of Wigan defenders with her. The successful conversion put Warrington 12-6 ahead.
Wigan came back into the game and camped on the Warrington line after the home side had a try ruled out for offside, but Wires’ scrambling goal line defence and some last ditch tackles out wide managed to keep them out.
An unconverted try from the strong running Emily Baggaley three minutes before the break appeared to put Warrington in a commanding position, but, despite dominating the first 20 minutes of the second half were perhaps guilty of overplaying a little too much and eventually paid the price.
A good break by Warriors’ hooker Carys Marsh on the hour mark ended with a pass out wide to centre Anna Davies who cantered over the line for a converted try. Five minutes later, the visitors were back in the lead after Eva Hunter finished off down the left and then run to the posts to make the conversion a formality.
Wigan stretched their lead just a couple of minutes later when Marsh – who was now beginning to have an influence on the game – took advantage of poor Warrington discipline to make a break and force Warrington into a goal-line drop-out. Full back Salihi gathered up the short kick to race over but was unable to convert her own try.
But, with just minutes to go, Warrington’s pressure on the Wigan line was rewarded with the converted try from Bound which, after some confusion over whether the game would go into Golden Point extra time, rescued a point for the Wolves.
A disappointed Warrington Women’s Super League head coach Lee Westwood said: “We threw that away a little bit today. In the second half we forced the ball a little too much and I feel as though we let the game slip out of our hands. We didn’t need to score in the second half but started to throw the ball around when we didn’t need to.
“But it is a big learning curve and there is plenty to take away from that game.
“Fair play to Wigan to stick in there. They defended really strongly and gave the girls a good taste of what it’s going to be like at this level.
“We can take a lot of positives from that game. We can learn a lot from this and hopefully fix a few things over the next few weeks.”
Player of the Match: Kacy Haley, Warrington
Teams:
Warrington:
18 Shannon Stephens FB
2 Abigail Johnston W
4 Emily Baggaley C
5 Samantha Simpson C
21 Georgia Sutherland W
1 Michelle Davies SO
7 Charlize Magraw SH
8 Armani Sharrock P
9 Danielle Bound H
13 Amy Daniels P
11 Katie May Williams SR
12 Kacy Haley SR
16 Georgia Westwood LF
Subs
14 Grace Ramsden
15 Emily Downs
17 Lauren Roberts
24 Abigail Latchford – back after year in the LunasWigan:
1 Beri Salihi FB
2 Kaitlin Hilton W
4 Anna Davies C
5 Rebecca Greenfield C
19 Molly Jones W
6 Grace Banks SO
7 Alison Burrows SH
8 Holly Speakman P
9 Carys Marsh H
15 Cerys Jones P
11 Eva Hunter SR
12 Mary Coleman SR
13 Victoria Molyneux LF
Subs
14 Emma Dwyer
18 Bethany Hayes
16 Lucy Johnson
17 Jodie Morris
22 Kerrie-Rose Evans
21 Emma Davies
