Wigan will face Huddersfield in Challenge Cup final at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 28; Warriors led St Helens 14-0 before defending champions rallied to take 18-14 advantage; Liam Marshall's late try sends Wigan into final; Huddersfield ease past Hull KR in second semi-final
Saturday 7 May 2022 20:26, UK
Wigan Warriors knocked out defending champions St Helens to reach their first Challenge Cup final for five years after staving off a superb comeback to win 20-18 in a thrilling encounter at Elland Road.
Wigan raced into a 14-0 lead as Liam Marshall, Cade Cust and Liam Farrell each scored first-half tries - only for St Helens to rally and take an 18-14 lead with three tries in just 10 minutes in the second period.
Konrad Hurrell, Jonny Lomax and James Roby were the players to score for St Helens, in the 47th, 50th and 57th minutes respectively, as the momentum shifted.
But Marshall's second touchdown on 70 minutes, after he latched onto a loose St Helens pass and ran from inside his own half, and Harry Smith's subsequent conversion saw Wigan regain the advantage.
They held on to secure a showdown with Huddersfield Giants at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 28.
Huddersfield defeated Hull KR 25-4 in Saturday's second semi-final and are now one win away from lifting the Challenge Cup for the first time since 1953.
Since then, Giants have been beaten finalists in 1962, 2006 and 2009.
They proved too strong for Hull KR, with Josh Jones, Innes Senior, Jermaine McGillvary and Owen Trout running in tries.
Hull KR's only touchdown was a late consolation with Shaun Kenny-Dowall scoring in the 76th minute.
Huddersfield are now toasting a first final in 13 years.
Wigan, meanwhile, lost their previous Challenge Cup final in 2017 to Hull FC - the side they had beaten four years earlier to win the competition for a 19th time.
Warriors coach Matt Peet said after the win over St Helens: "There were spells in that game in which both sides were dominant. Credit to the resilience of the group.
"All the emotion and pride for me is about the fact that so many people came today. To give them something to look forward to in a trip to Tottenham, that's a great thing.
"I'm glad we won. It's the first chance we've got to get into a final this year and we've taken it. As far as today goes, it's job done."
