Warrington Wolves u19 18 Wigan Warriors u19 32

A COLE Oakley try early in the second half put Wolves back in the reckoning but Wigan proved too strong at Victoria Park Stadium on Saturday.

Riley Dean's conversion cut Wigan's interval lead to 16-14 but the visitors responded quickly and kept their line intact until Josh Thewlis scored a consolation try 10 minutes from time.

Wingers Liam Brinksman and Lewis Hall bagged Warrington's other tries in what was the team's first defeat of the year.

Wigan opened the scoring after four minutes when the ball was sent along the line for Sam Halsall to score in the left corner.

A second try followed after a penalty put Warriors deep into the Wolves half and from a quick play-the-ball Aiden Roden forced his way over from dummy half. Joe Shorrocks added the conversion.

Wolves got on the scoreboard just before the midway point of the half when they forced a repeat set and after Thewlis was held up over the line a kick on the last tackle by Joe Barnes cannoned off a Wigan player and Dean found centre Nathan Roebuck to put winger Brinksman over in the right corner.

Seven minutes later a penalty in front of the Wigan posts paid dividends for Wolves as the ball was swept out wide to Thewlis who found Hall and he acrobatically squeezed over in the left corner.

Wigan then cashed in a Warrington error.

Wolves played the ball quickly close to their own line but nobody was in place to collect and Wigan substitute Amir Bourouh was alert to pick up and score. Shorrocks converted.

Two minutes into the second half Wolves substitute Daniel Harper was held just short after a strong run but then quick hands from the play-the-ball saw Connor Wrench slip a lovely ball to Oakley for his converted try.

Five minutes later Warriors responded as Bourouh twisted in a tackle to score from close range.

Warriors stretched their lead when a quick 20-metre restart from Umyla Hanley saw him race 60 metres down the middle of the field and after a couple of quick play-the-balls Wolves' defence was stretched to the point Corey Hall scored in the right corner.

Wigan made the game safe when Brad O’Neill powered over at the left of the posts.

Back-to-back penalties paved the way for Wolves' final score, Dean putting Thewlis through a gap on the right.

Wolves: Josh Thewlis; Liam Brinksman, Nathan Roebuck, Cole Oakley, Lewis Hall; Riley Dean, Joe Barnes; Jack Wright, Padraig Anglin-Sheedy, Tayler Brown, Ellis Longstaff, Connor Wrench, Jacob Gannon. Subs: George Roby, Dean Beddall, Daniel Harper, Morgan Burgess.

Tries: Brinksman (18 mins), Hall (25), Oakley (42), Thewlis (70).

Goals: Dean 1 from 4.

Warriors: Umyla Hanley; Ben Holcroft, Corey Hall, Sam Halsall, Cian Tyrer; Joe Riley, Jake Sculthorpe; Nathan Wilde, Aiden Roden, Oscar Stone, Harry Rushton, Morgan Smithies, Joe Shorrocks. Subs: Amir Bourouh, Brad O’Neill, Max Roberts, Ethan Havard.

Tries: Halsall (4mins), Roden (8), Bourouh (34, 47), Hall (59), O’Neill (67).

Goals: Shorrocks 4 from 6.

Referee: Kevin Moore (Wakefield).