Wigan Vs Catalans

[josie andrews]

Wigan Secure Dramatic Win

Result from the DW Stadium -

Wigan Warriors 22

T - Bowen 2, Charnley, Farrell

G - Smith 3/4.

Catalan Dragons 16

T - Escare 2, Pomeroy

G - Bosc 2/3

Match Report

Wigan snatched a dramatic late win as they defeated Catalan Dragons 22-16 at the DW Stadium on Friday night, the hero Matty Bowen with two tries, his second with two minutes to go securing the win.

It looked as if the points would be shared at 16 al,l until Bowen found a gap in the Dragons defence and raced away from near half way to complete a dramatic comeback.

Wigan trailed 0-10 and then 4-16 early in the second half but a brace from Bowen and tries from Charnley and Farrell with three goals from Matty Smith made sure of three wins in a row in Super League for Shaun Wane's men.

Wigan welcomed back Skipper Sean O'Loughlin to the side after missing the last three games with a shoulder injury, meanwhile Michael McIlorum missed out and completed his three game suspension. The Dragons welcomed back to the side Centre Daryl Millard.

The visitors got off to a sensational start with a near length of the field try on 4 minutes, the Dragons keeping the ball alive with some excellent passing, seven or eight players involved with Full Back Morgan Escare the last man to receive the ball and cross the Wigan try line for the opening score. It was Escare that started the move less than 20 metres from his own line and on numerous occasions it looked as if the Warriors had stopped the Catalans in their tracks , this one a real contender for one of the tries of the season. Thomas Bosc added the conversion, 0-6.

The Dragons were in again on 10 minutes, Wigan penalised inside their own 20 metres and with quick hands to the right the home defence was split once more, this time Centre Ben Pomeroy squeezing over on the right hand side. This time Bosc missed a difficult conversion, 0-10.

Wigan looked for a way back into the game but were unable to find any rhythm with ball in hand, getting into a good position on a couple of occasions, Smith with a kick through that was too strong and going dead and then Taylor with a knock on with the Warriors pressing the Catalan line.

Wigan continued to ask some questions of the Catalan defence, Pryce forced to concede a goal line drop out and eventually on 28 minutes the Warriors were able to get on the scoreboard, Matty Bowen in a gap from a short ball, the Full Back in for his third try for the Club. Matty Smith missed the goal from out wide, 4-10.

Wigan fans were less than happy at the break, Catalan guilty on several occasions of being off side but it was Wigan who Referee Tim Roby penalised for being too quick off the mark at the play the ball, somewhat ironic. At half time Catalan led with a six point advantage.

A high kick from Leon Pryce as the rain started to fall put pressure on Matty Bowen who was unable to keep hold and it was Escare again on hand again to grab his second try of the game on 46 minutes. Thomas Bosc added the extras, 4-16.

Wigan needed the next score and they got it on 62 minutes, this time a slick move to the right and it was Winger Josh Charnley who was able to dive in at the corner underneath the advancing Dragons defenders, good well worked try. This time Smith hit a superb goal, 10-16.

Wigan were denied a further try on 59 minutes, Burgess in the corner but there was a forward pass in the build- up. Another forward pass on 65 minutes this time to Charnley as the Warriors looked for points to draw level.

On 66 minutes the Wigan possession and pressure finally told and the French side were unable to stop Liam Farrell from scoring Wigan's third try of the game just to the left of the posts, Smith hit his second conversion and the contest was locked at 16 all.

Catalan were caught off side on 72 minutes and Matty Smith was given the opportunity from 35 metres out with the two points, his effort narrowly wide.

Wigan desperately tried to find position for the one pointer and then thought they had found a gap on the left for a possible try but Burgess was bundled into touch as Catalan held on.

With two minutes left, Bowen found space and a gap and raced away for his second touchdown of the game and Wigan had won, Smith added the conversion and it ended 22-16 to the Warriors.

Team News

Wigan Warriors - Matty Bowen, Josh Charnley, Darrell Goulding, Iain Thornley, Joe Burgess, Blake Green, Matty Smith, Scott Taylor, Logan Tomkins, Ben Flower, John Bateman, Liam Farrell, Sean O'Loughlin

Replacements - Dom Crosby, Eddy Pettybourne, Tony Clubb, George Williams

Catalan Dragons - Morgan Escare, Michael Oldfield, Ben Pomeroy, Daryl Millard, Mathias Pala, Leon Pryce, Thomas Bosc, Oliver Elima, Eloi Pelissier, Julain Bousquet, Zeb Taia, Louis Anderson, Gregory Mounis

Replacements - Antonio Maria, Lopini Paea, Jean-Philippe Baile, Benjamin Garcia

Referee - Tim Roby


http://www.wiganwarriors.com/WContent.a ... L0fcXXX.99

[Kittwazzer]

Kitt, I agree with you and will take it on the chin. My behaviour has been exemplary on this forum but sorry I can not read that BS any longer!!

If its that bad, just block him! I can't criticise anyone who is prepared to travel from Belfast to watch his team play, whatever his views may be!

[TrueBlueWarrior]

Kitt, I agree with you and will take it on the chin. My behaviour has been exemplary on this forum but sorry I can not read that BS any longer!!

He didn't post BS though. The commentators reflected what went on at the game. It was a very poor quality game.

I doubt there is anyone who will disagree with that so if he hadn't posted it, someone else would have.

I am glad we won and Bowen punching the air in front of the South Stand as he scored was great to see but that and Les Cats try apart a very forgettable game.

My BS comment is not about how the team played tonight!! Read the full discussion and it should be quite clear what I am aiming the BS at!!

[TrueBlueWarrior]

Kitt, I agree with you and will take it on the chin. My behaviour has been exemplary on this forum but sorry I can not read that BS any longer!!

If its that bad, just block him! I can't criticise anyone who is prepared to travel from Belfast to watch his team play, whatever his views may be!

I am not criticising him as a fan and never have nor never will, my original reply to his post was a bit of a joke and tongue in cheek because the poster posts the exact same post every time we play bad or lose but never anything positive or in fact anything at all when we win and play well. My BS comment relates to his subsequent comments in the following posts which I am sorry were laughable, whether he travels from Belfast or Timbuctoo!!

[DaveO]

Kitt, I agree with you and will take it on the chin. My behaviour has been exemplary on this forum but sorry I can not read that BS any longer!!

He didn't post BS though. The commentators reflected what went on at the game. It was a very poor quality game.

I doubt there is anyone who will disagree with that so if he hadn't posted it, someone else would have.

I am glad we won and Bowen punching the air in front of the South Stand as he scored was great to see but that and Les Cats try apart a very forgettable game.

My BS comment is not about how the team played tonight!! Read the full discussion and it should be quite clear what I am aiming the BS at!!

I didn't say it was did I!

The team played poor, the commentators reflect that and A&L reiterated their commentary so - as I said "He didn't post BS though. "

Me going on to say "I am glad we won and Bowen punching the air in front of the South Stand as he scored was great to see but that and Les Cats try apart a very forgettable game." is me posting my opinion of the game not yours or anyone else's.

I think you are the one who needs to read stuff properly and not be so quick to jump to conclusions.

[TrueBlueWarrior]

He didn't post BS though. The commentators reflected what went on at the game. It was a very poor quality game.

I doubt there is anyone who will disagree with that so if he hadn't posted it, someone else would have.

I am glad we won and Bowen punching the air in front of the South Stand as he scored was great to see but that and Les Cats try apart a very forgettable game.

My BS comment is not about how the team played tonight!! Read the full discussion and it should be quite clear what I am aiming the BS at!!

I didn't say it was did I!

The team played poor, the commentators reflect that and A&L reiterated their commentary so - as I said "He didn't post BS though. "

Me going on to say "I am glad we won and Bowen punching the air in front of the South Stand as he scored was great to see but that and Les Cats try apart a very forgettable game." is me posting my opinion of the game not yours or anyone else's.

I think you are the one who needs to read stuff properly and not be so quick to jump to conclusions.

...and I never said he posted BS in his opening post!! You jumped to the conclusion that my BS comment was about his opening post and it wasn't, how about you listen to your own advice?!

[Alreetas]

We played poor and got the win, a lot for Waney to work on but a win is a win.. A good side can play poor and win.
And that is why we won the double

[DaveO]

My BS comment is not about how the team played tonight!! Read the full discussion and it should be quite clear what I am aiming the BS at!!

I didn't say it was did I!

The team played poor, the commentators reflect that and A&L reiterated their commentary so - as I said "He didn't post BS though. "

Me going on to say "I am glad we won and Bowen punching the air in front of the South Stand as he scored was great to see but that and Les Cats try apart a very forgettable game." is me posting my opinion of the game not yours or anyone else's.

I think you are the one who needs to read stuff properly and not be so quick to jump to conclusions.

...and I never said he posted BS in his opening post!! You jumped to the conclusion that my BS comment was about his opening post and it wasn't, how about you listen to your own advice?!

Come off it. It is time to stop digging.

"...but sorry I can not read that BS any longer" which was clearly referring to the post of A&L in this thread.

If not just what BS were you referring to exactly?

[DaveO]

This week the pack struggled against a very heavy and physical pack that if it could have lasted the 80 they would have won. We can ill afford this in the bigger games.

I thought this as well. Not just in making yards if that is what you meant but a couple of their "barrel shaped" forwards made plenty of yards and we could not seem to put them down.

We lack something in the middle of the pitch to deal with them. Micky Mac helps when playing but we need something extra.

I will say it again, Bowen will be Wigan's best player when the weather gets better and he is key to how Wigan will defend there titles. He has assists in him this lad and can position himself to perfection. He needs a bit more protection however Tomkins received far more IMO but that will come.

He was way ahead of the game tonight on occasions and in one move he got slagged off for around me in the crowd when he should not have been. He went left toward the corner and the move got snuffed out but that was because the winger and centre followed him. He wanted one to follow him and the other to run an angle inside.

This was ground out 2 points in the bag, despite how it was achieved. It moves us up the table and that's all that matters, great teams grind wins out look at the Challenge Cup final last year as an example.

I would not say it was a "ground out" two points as a draw would have been fair IMO but like you I will take the 2 points.

[TrueBlueWarrior]

I didn't say it was did I!

The team played poor, the commentators reflect that and A&L reiterated their commentary so - as I said "He didn't post BS though. "

Me going on to say "I am glad we won and Bowen punching the air in front of the South Stand as he scored was great to see but that and Les Cats try apart a very forgettable game." is me posting my opinion of the game not yours or anyone else's.

I think you are the one who needs to read stuff properly and not be so quick to jump to conclusions.

...and I never said he posted BS in his opening post!! You jumped to the conclusion that my BS comment was about his opening post and it wasn't, how about you listen to your own advice?!

Come off it. It is time to stop digging.

"...but sorry I can not read that BS any longer" which was clearly referring to the post of A&L in this thread.

If not just what BS were you referring to exactly?

DaveO I am not doing any digging at all and like I said the BS comment was made after a lengthy discussion between myself and LB! If I thought his opening post about the performance was BS then I would have said it in my first response to his opening post, but I clearly didn't! The BS comment referred to the comments such as 'don't play poorly or lose then', 'even though we won the double we had mare after mare performances', 'second best is not good enough compared to the history of other SL teams' etc. Like I said originally read all the thread properly and if you don't then please don't jump to conclusions and assume you know what my posts are referring to when clearly you don't and are wrong.