A SPIRITED second-half display was not enough to stop Wolves suffering a late defeat at Wigan Warriors in the play-offs semi final.

Just like against Widnes two weeks ago, Wolves headed into the break behind after Wigan Warriors built an early lead.

Joel Monaghan scored before half time, but it came after Matty Smith put the first points on the board with the boot and then converted a Joel Tomkins try.

Gareth O’Brien scored a superb individual try after the interval, but it was cancelled out by an Anthony Gelling effort.

Then, with less than two minutes remaining, Joe Burgess squeezed in at the corner to win it for Wigan.

The hosts, attacking a sea of primrose and blue in the North Stand, put the early pressure on Wolves’ line after five minutes, but Joel Monaghan rose highest to gather a Matty Smith cross-field kick.

Two minutes later and following a driving run after recovering Richie Myler’s deep kick, Warriors’ full back Matty Bowen gained good ground.

Chris Hill was penalised for offside and Smith took the opportunity to put the first two points on the board from nearly 40 metres.

Joe Burgess was next to make a break from deep, but Stefan Ratchford, retaining his full back spot after a superb display at Cas, hauled down the winger after he had evaded two would-be tacklers.

However, Ratchford’s next involvement was to knock on close to his own line and it took a solid Wolves defence to stop Wigan as they whisked the ball right from the scrum.

Wigan were able to maintain their pressure and with the ball worked back to their left, Liam Farrell thought he had done enough to score the game’s first try 12 minutes in.

But Myler met the second rower head on and was able to hold up over the line, with video referee Richard Silverwood signalling no try.

The first 15 minutes was a constant barrage of Wigan attacks, but as Bowen’s pass fell loose, Trent Waterhouse – playing potentially his last game for the club – was in quickly to dive on it.

Waterhouse, given a difficult pass from Ben Harrison, then knocked on himself, as play changed hands quickly.

Wolves’ defence was continuing to soak up the pressure, as a big hit from Anthony England on Eddy Pettybourne brought to an end another Wigan attack.

It had taken 22 minutes but finally the Wolves fans, in full voice, had a Warrington attack to cheer as within moments of each other first Chris Bridge and then Rhys Evans made ground on opposite flanks.

But that optimism was short lived as on 24 minutes Blake Green broke the Wolves line, drew full back Ratchford and passed on for Tomkins to scoot over the line. Smith added the extras.

Wolves’ first real attack of intent was started by Roy Asotasi approaching the half hour, Myler moved the ball on the Gareth O’Brien, who quickly fed Hill.

The Man of Steel contender sidestepped one tackle, but when he was felled the play was brought back for a Warrington penalty after Bowen’s late tackle on Myler early in the move.

Bridge, like many of the Wolves players in the first half, slipped as he approached the Wigan line and came out limping, before being replaced by Matty Russell.

Wolves were beginning to gain more ground and when Micky Higham and Michael Monaghan combined Myler was able to spot a gap, only to find a lack of primrose and blue in support.

With the half drawing to a close, things began to heat up at the DW as Higham almost came to blows with Tomkins.

But Wolves gained a vital foothold in the game moments later, when Myler’s pass deflected off the head of Ben Currie and Joel Monaghan was able to dive on the loose ball for his 38th try of the season. Ratchford could not convert from wide out.

With the seconds ticking down the first half hooter, Evans won the race to the corner to stop Wigan immediately re-extending their advantage.

Relying on their strong defence for much of the first period, Wolves came out firing in the second and it was Asotasi, one of the side’s better performers in the play-offs, who once again drove Tony Smith’s side forward.

From one of the New Zealand international’s powerful drives it ended with O’Brien’s grubber being punched dead by Josh Charnley.

Wolves were twice awarded penalties for high tackles from the Wigan defence as they pressured the hosts’ line, but a jinking Russell was unable to find a gap.

But with five minutes played in the second half O’Brien lofted a bomb towards the Wigan 20-metre line.

The in-form half back continued his run, anticipated the bounce and gathered one-handed before Bowen could react to scoot over to the left of the posts before converting himself.

Wolves survived a Burgess break and then it was back on the attack, Bowen again looking uncertain under a high O’Brien kick.

First Currie was unable to find a way around the outside after a Wigan fumble and next, on the opposite flank, Atkins and Russell were unable to find Evans the space he needed to creep in at the corner.

But with 55 minutes gone, Wigan replied. A swift break had Wolves’ defence scrambling and as the hosts switched the play to the right Gelling snuck in. Smith pulled the kick wide.

The score seemed to have swung the momentum back in Wigan’s favour, with a two-point lead to play with they were forcing Wolves into sloppy mistakes.

Green just about hung on after juggling his catch and then Dom Crosby was held up by a mass of Wolves bodies.

The next Wigan move would come to an end when, after moving the ball left through hands, Dan Sarginson’s pass was knocked forward by Burgess.

When Wolves did find the ascendency, the hosts were slowing their fluent attacking game at every play-the-ball.

Phil Bentham finally pulled them up when after a useful break from Higham, the hooker was held down in the Wigan half.

Ratchford brought Wolves level with the boot with 15 minutes remaining.

Three minutes later and Wigan found space for Smith to attempt a drop goal, but the scrum half could not find his target. O’Brien was the next to try, but his effort was way off.

However, as Bowen went to run it back he fumbled under the tackle of Ratchford and Wolves had the put in 30 metres from the Wigan try line – a move that came to an end when O’Brien was penalised for obstruction.

Next it was Smith’s go again, but his first attempt was charged down by the skipper Monaghan and moments later he pulled another drop goal attempt wide.

Neither side seemed to want to win it – from a scrum Warrington worked the pocket for Myler, but he did not strike his drop goal attempt cleanly.

And then, with two minutes to play, Gelling collected and looked like he was going to waltz his way around the Wolves defence, especially when Russell slipped.

But when the centre attempted to fling a pass wide to Burgess it was a long way forward and Wolves had hung on once more.

The inevitable happened two minutes from time. Having come out in the second period and taken the game to Wigan, Wolves had gradually allowed the hosts to claw a way back.

When the ball reached Burgess in the corner he was able to wriggle over, although Bowen could not add the extras.