It’s late despair for Patton as Wigan dream of Wembley
TWO contrasting images of this energy-sapping Challenge Cup quarter-final will endure long after memories of Wigan’s 27-26 victory at Warrington have faded.
The first was of Warrington’s Declan Patton morose and flat out on the turf after missing a drop-goal attempt that would have levelled the scores with the last play of the game.
The young stand-off, who was only playing because Kevin Brown pulled out at the last minute with a foot injury, was gradually hauled to his feet by team-mate Ryan Atkins.
The second, equally telling image was that of Wigan’s players celebrating wildly in front of their raucous away supporters. Sam Tomkins, playing his first game since September after a broken foot, played a key role in the win and John Bateman was not far behind him.
Tomkins supplied the pass for Bateman’s superb 65thminute try which put the visitors 26-20 up before the England full back then added what proved to be the winning drop-goal in the 73rd minute.
After Wigan moved to within 80 minutes of a first Wembley appearance since beating Hull in the 2013 final, coach Shaun Wane said: ‘The connection Wigan have with Wembley is special. We have won it more times (20) than anyone else and when we beat Hull it was the best four or five days of my life. It’s something we want again.’
Two fine finishes from Joe Burgess put Wigan 12-0 up but Warrington, beset by injuries, fashioned a spirited response in the searing heat.
Twice Atkins finished well from kicks for 12-12 before Liam Marshall evaded Atkins for a third Wigan try.
Andre Savelio’s 56th-minute score kept Warrington in contention before Bateman beautifully collected Tomkins’s pass and burst past three Warrington defenders to score. Tomkins’s drop goal made it 27-20 but, with three minutes remaining, Warrington were back in it when Kurt Gidley scored and Patton’s conversion cut Wigan’s lead to one point.
From the restart, Burgess inexplicably kicked out on the full, handing Warrington a penalty on halfway which Stefan Ratchford sent wide.
There was still time for Patton to send the tie into extra-time but it was not to be.