THE road to Wembley has begun and Warrington Wolves took their first step towards a third consecutive Challenge Cup final with a hammering of Championship One club Keighley Cougars.

The question was not whether Wolves would win, but by how many, and despite the best efforts of a well-organised and spirited Cougars side, Wolves delivered a record-equalling performance to safely progress to round five.

The 80-0 drubbing matched Wolves’ record win at The Halliwell Jones Stadium, equalling the 80-0 they managed against Rochdale Hornets in fourth round of Challenge Cup in 2004.

It could and should have been Wolves’ record-breaking performance, as they only needed three more points to match their biggest win of all time, an 84-1 defeat of York Wasps at Wilderspool in 2001.

As it was Wolves were hampered by the determination of Jason Demitriou’s visiting Cougars - who managed to keep the hosts to just one try for the first 18 minutes- and the torrential rain in the second half.

Had it not been for these factors, it would not have been surprising to see Wolves rack up more than 100 points without reply, so dominant were they in possession and defence.

It was chance for Tony Smith to give a decent run-out to some of the fringe players, with Mike Cooper and David Solomona both putting in 80-minutes stints and Chris Riley marking his return from a spell in the under 20s with a solid performance at full back.

But it was also the perfect opportunity to hand one of Warrington’s promising young talents a first team debut, and despite being over shadowed by the magnificent Lee Briers, 19-year-old Gareth O’Brien can be very pleased with his performance.

Born and bred Warringtonian O’Brien, a former pupil of Great Sankey High School, showed some of the talent he has been demonstrating in Richard Marshall’s under 20s side this season and also managed to get on the board with a try early in the second half.

But his best moment was possibly the kick with the outside of his boot, that bounced beautifully in front of the posts for his half back partner Briers to catch and slide over.

With Wolves lucky enough to earn another home fixture against a Championship One side in the fifth round, when they host Swinton Lions on May 20, it is likely that O’Brien will get another chance to shine in the near future.

INTERESTING NOTES

Wolves equalled their record victory at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, matching the 80-0 they achieved against Rochdale Hornets in 2004.

Gareth O'Brien marked his first team debut with a try.

Lee Briers scored 32 points in the match, scoring two tries and kicking 12 goals in a man-of-the-match performance.

Carnegie Challenge Cup fourth round, Sunday, May 8, 2011

Warrington Wolves 80 Keighley Cougars 0

Wolves:

Chris Riley; Rhys Williams (2t), Matty Blythe, Ryan Atkins (3t), Matt King (1t); Lee Briers (2t), Gareth O'Brien (1t); Garreth Carvell, Mickey Higham, Mike Cooper (1t), David Solomona, Simon Grix (1t), Ben Harrison. Subs: Michael Monaghan (1t), Adrian Morley, Paul Wood (1t), Rhys Evans (1t).

Cougars:

Gavin Duffy; Ben Sagar, Danny Lawton, Chris Baines, James Hutchinson; Jason Demetriou, Ryan Smith; Andy Shickell, James Feather, Ryan Benjafield, Will Cartledge, Olly Pursglove, Jamie Shepherd. Subs: Jamaine Wray, Rick Barr, Scott Law, Greg Nicholson.

Referee:

George Stokes

Scoring:

Matt King passes inside for Ryan Atkins, 2mins, Briers converts, 6-0; Simon Grix falls on a Lee Briers grubber, 18mins, Briers goals, 12-0; Wood crosses from Mickey Higham’s pass, 28mins, Briers converts, 18-0; Grix puts Atkins over, 30mins, Briers goals, 24-0; Briers twists over, 40mins, 34-0; O’Brien crosses after King pass, 41mins, Briers adds extras, 40-0; Atkins sprints to corner, 43mins, Briers goals, 46-0; Rhys Williams finishes, 50mins, Briers converts, 52-0; Michael Monaghan grubber to King, 54mins, Briers goals, 58-0; Monaghan crosses from close range, 57mins, Briers adds extras, 64-0, Rhys Evans drops on a loose ball, 67mins, 68-0; Briers races onto O’Brien kick, 75mins, Briers goals, 74-0; Williams breaks clear from Monaghan pass, 77mins, Briers converts, 80-0.

Pens:

Wolves 4 Cougars 2

Attendance:

6,583