Challenge Cup: Wigan 14-12 Warrington - Warriors hold on with 12 men

Kaide Ellis was shown a consecutive reddish paper successful the sixth infinitesimal by referee Liam Moore

Wigan Warriors played astir the full crippled a antheral abbreviated but inactive reached the Challenge Cup semi-finals with a memorable triumph implicit Warrington Wolves.

But holders Wigan past went 8-0 up with a effort from on-loan Warrington centre Toby King and 2 Harry Smith kicks.

Even erstwhile Joe Bullock pulled a effort backmost aft the break, improved by Ratchford, Wigan past scored a match-clinching 2nd converted effort from Abbas Miski.

Josh Thewlis gave Wire hope, Ratchford again converting, and the visitors thought they had won it erstwhile the winger went implicit again successful the 79th infinitesimal but the referee Liam Moore chalked it disconnected for a guardant pass.

To a monolithic surge of location relief, that secured Wigan - 20-times winners of the tourney - a semi-final gathering with Hull KR, portion St Helens volition play Leigh oregon York.

Harry Smith landed each of his 3 kicks astatine goal, the 3rd of them from the touchline

Neither broadside were successful thing similar their champion signifier going into this game, having some mislaid 2 of their erstwhile 3 Super League matches.

But the Challenge Cup tin often disturbance the blood, particularly betwixt 2 section rivals with specified history.

And this contention took conscionable six minutes to burst into beingness erstwhile Australian escaped guardant Ellis doubly enactment his caput successful Ratchford's look successful a rather unnecessary flashpoint that ended with some players surrounded by team-mates and humor coming from the span of the Warrington centre's nose.

Yet it was Wigan who scored archetypal when, from Smith's crossfield kick, Miski roseate highest to sound it backwards and the shot bounced kindly for King to clutch safely and dive implicit to people against his genitor club.

Smith kicked the goal, past added different with a 22nd-minute punishment - and Liam Marshall could adjacent person extended their lead, but was denied successful the near country by a magnificent tackle from Thewlis.

Wigan continued to clasp retired error-strewn Warrington until the 53rd infinitesimal erstwhile Bullock crashed over, and Ratchford converted adjacent to the posts.

It did not instrumentality agelong to reconstruct Wigan's eight-point cushion arsenic Miski dived implicit superbly successful the close country - and Smith superbly curled implicit the touchline conversion.

But, 7 minutes from time, Sam Kasiano's clever flick backmost to a precocious shot was transferred backmost - and Thewlis skipped wrong to spell implicit to the close of the posts. Then came that 2nd precocious Thewlis accidental erstwhile helium thought helium had scored, but the lucifer officials chalked it off.

Wigan: Field; Miski, King, Wardle, Marshall; French, Smith; Havard, O'Neill, Byrne, Shorrocks, Farrell, Ellis.

Interchanges: Cust, Singleton, Smithies, Hill.

Warrington: Dufty; Thewlis, Wrench, Ratchford, Ashton; Mata'utia, Williams; Dudson, Walker, Vaughan, Currie, Harrison, Kasiano.

Interchanges: Clark, Philbin, Bullock, Green.

Referee: Liam Moore.