Wolves 34

Blue Sox 4

By MIKE PARSONS

WOLVES coach Darryl Van de Velde kept a trick up his sleeve and it paid off handsomely as his side sent shell-shocked Halifax crashing out of the Challenge Cup.

To surprise Halifax, Van de Velde kept his plan hush-hush to play Great Britain international Jon Roper at loose forward and the Cumbrian did not let his boss down with a wonderful try.

It was something of a calculated gamble. Roper had not started a game for almost nine months after breaking his leg in the home game against Sheffield last June.

Roper had not played in the No.13 spot for Warrington before but Van de Velde wanted him on the park because of his ability to come up with a match-winning play.

His 90 yard spectacular effort he scored with a blooded nose against St. Helens at Wilderspool in 1996 on his return game from a knee reconstruction is one which springs to mind? And then there was that injury time winner at Hull Sharks last season!

But Van de Velde could not take Alan Hunte or Toa Kohe-Love out of the centres after their top form start to the season.

So it was the back of the scrum for Roper, in place of Mike Wainwright, and his match-deciding moment of magic came after 53 minutes.

The Wolves were awarded a penalty for off-side inside their own 20m area and Roper caught the whole of the Halifax team off guard by quickly tapping the ball to himself, stepping round full back Graham Holroyd and striding out 80 yards to touch down. Briers' goal made it 16-4 and Warrington's hearts lifted.

The Blue Sox were then only a shadow of the side which had made Warrington battle for everything in the opening 50 minutes, even though Warrington always had the edge up front with their forwards taking no steps backwards.

Captain Danny Farrar was named man of the match after his ferocious defensive display but his colleagues all followed his lead. Mark Hilton, Danny Nutley and Simon Gillies defended their hearts out.

Warrington's defence was so good across the field that it was felt Halifax, who finished third in Super League last year, could have still been playing now and still not come up with a try.

But half backs Lee Briers and Scott Wilson always looked capable of making breaks for Warrington.

It was the worst possible start for Warrington when Roper kicked off straight into touch. It allowed Graham Holroyd to boot over a penalty goal from the halfway line with only 75 seconds on the clock.

Then the Wolves turned good fortune into points. Scrum half Gavin Clinch's kick hit Steve McCurrie and fell nicely for him to scoop it up, feed Briers who was then able to send Forster flying in from halfway.

Briers added two penalty goals and Holroyd pulled two points back with his boot.

The Wolves did all the pressing but chances were few and far between and Warrington settled for an 8-4 interval advantage.

Two minutes after the break former Warrington favourite Gary Mercer was sin-binned for stealing the ball off Nutley in a two-man tackle. Briers goaled.

The game was pretty much in deadlock with defences in control until Roper's brilliant vision turned the game Warrington's way with his 80 yard special.

Briers' penalty in the 56th minute took Warrington 14 points ahead.

A kick and chase Hunte try was converted by Briers and he was on target again after Toa Kohe-Love bust through some weak tackling straight from a scrum to touch down.

Two minutes from time powerful drives by Gary Chambers and Hilton were rewarded when McCurrie slipped out a pass for Penny to crash over. Briers goaled.

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