Super 8s: Ben Currie try downs Catalans Dragons to put Warrington top
Last Updated: 03/09/16 7:31pm
Ben Currie's 77th-minute try handed Wolves a 26-22 win over Catalans Dragons as the Wolves went top of the Super 8s standings.
In the Challenge Cup final last week Currie knocked on in the act of scoring what would have been the winning try with two minutes remaining, but this week turned his fortunes around to help his side come from behind for a late victory that puts them top of the league with three rounds remaining.
The loss means Catalans can now not afford to lose any of their remaining games if they hope to convert a slender chance of making it into the play-offs at the end of the regular season.
Warrington's first try came in the seventh minute when Toby King stepped and fended his way through the Catalans defence before throwing an inside pass to Declan Patton in support, who raced in under the poles and converted his own effort.
Looking to hit back, the Dragons were on the opposition tryline with ball in hand when Tony Gigot put in a kick which Stefan Ratchford grabbed then passed to Kevin Penny who raced the length of the field to give Wolves a 12-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The next scoring opportunity fell to Remi Casty, who ran a superb line off Gigot and looked to have made it all the way, but a brilliant last-gasp defence from Jack Johnson forced a knock-on with the line beckoning.
The first half was drawing to a close when the Wolves scored their third and arguably best try. Ratchford feigned a kick deep in his own half before releasing Toby King down the right touchline. King drew and passed to Penny who made his way deep into enemy territory before passing inside to Ratchford in support. Ratchford was tackled but managed to keep the ball alive as he offloaded to King who sent Patton through for a 18-0 half-time lead.
The Dragons opened the scoring in the second half when quick hands from Richie Myler created a gap which Vincent Duport exploited to bring his side back into the game.
Myler then took things into his own hands, crashing through the Wolves defence to bring his side to within six points of their opponents after the Gigot conversion.
Casty was then penalised for a late charge as Patton put the Wolves 20-12 ahead with a shot at goal in the 54th minute.
A tense finish was set up when Ryan Atkins spilled the ball right on his own line and Ben Garcia grabbed the loose offering to canter over for a try that had the Dragons trailing by two with 12 minutes remaining.
A 40-20 kick put the Dragons right back on the attack, and when King was penalised at the tackle Gigot stepped up to tie the game in the 72nd minute.
Gigot put the Dragons two points in front with another shot at goal with just over five minutes remaining, but the final say came from Currie, who was on the end of simple draw-and-pass before stepping inside the final defender to hand his side a late win.