WHEN it came to the crunch, Wolves lacked the composure they needed to book a return to Wembley.

After taking a first-set lead through Ryan Atkins, if they had spotted further golden opportunities available they could have blown Hull KR away in Saturday’s Challenge Cup semi final at Headingley.

And after doing the hard work of fighting back from 20-6 down to a two-point deficit with 15 minutes remaining, a succession of spillages and wrong options meant they did not get inside the Rovers’ 30-metre line again with the ball in hand.

Huddersfield loan player Shaun Lunt became the hero, crossing for the contentious but decisive converted try five minutes from time.

As absorbing as it was, frustration of The Wire fans raged in witnessing a sub-standard display on a huge stage after a recent resurgence in form.

Mitigating circumstances included the absence of Ben Westwood (suspended) and Matty Russell (ankle) then being heightened by the loss of Ben Harrison (concussion) and Gene Ormsby (broken jaw) during the game.

But that does not excuse some of the sloppiness in Wolves’ game, the worst being the way French international Kevin Larroyer was able to extend his arm out of a four-man tackle for a second-half try that gave The Wire a mountain to climb.

Some Warrington plays pointed to the plot having been lost, with nobody pulling the strings.

They were unlucky at times too, Sam Wilde and Ben Currie both being stopped inches short of the whitewash in a first half in which Gareth O’Brien was held up over the try line and then in the second half he was agonisingly unable to clasp the ball as it rebounded off a post from a Richie Myler grubber, while Joel Monaghan was fingertips from a spectacular diving effort in the right corner.

A spirited Robins side skippered by ex-Wolves back rower Tyrone McCarthy created little in reply other than the tries they scored, though Albert Kelly’s kicking game kept KR in the driving seat.

In the end it seemed this was Wigan at Widnes in 2009 all over again, only this time Hull KR were the underdogs and they were the ones who sent their legions of supporters bananas by ending a Wembley drought standing since 1986.

MATCH FACTS

Challenge Cup semi final, Saturday, August 1, 2015

Warrington Wolves...18 Hull KR...26

Wolves: Stefan Ratchford; Joel Monaghan, Gary Wheeler, Ryan Atkins, Gene Ormsby; Gareth O’Brien, Richie Myler; Chris Hill, Daryl Clark, Ashton Sims, Sam Wilde, Ben Currie, Ben Harrison. Subs: Brad Dwyer, Roy Asotasi, Joe Philbin, Anthony England.

Hull KR: Kieran Dixon; Ken Sio, Kris Welham, Liam Salter, Josh Mantellato; Maurice Blair, Albert Kelly, Adam Walker, Shaun Lunt, Tony Puletua, Kevin Larroyer, Graeme Horne, Tyrone McCarthy. Subs: John Boudebza, James Donaldson, James Green, Dane Tilse.

Scoring: Atkins try, 74secs, O’Brien goal, 6-0; Mantellato try, 24mins, 6-4; Sio try, 26mins, Mantellato goal, 6-10; Mantellato penalty, 36mins, 6-12; Larroyer try, 47mins, Mantellato goal, 6-18; Mantellato penalty, 53mins, 6-20; Myler try, 58mins, O’Brien goal, 12-20; Currie try, 67mins, O’Brien goal, 18-20; Lunt try, 77mins, Mantellato goal, 26-18.

Penalties: Wolves 7 Rovers 7

Referee: Richard Silverwood

Attendance: 13,049

Top man: Chris Hill