THERE could be no questioning the desire and effort from Tony Smith’s side on Friday.

Ultimately, for all that passion and defensive resilience, Warrington Wolves came up short.

It is to their credit Wolves were still in the game at the break, withstanding a barrage of Wigan pressure in the first 40 minutes.

That primrose and blue wall the hosts found almost impenetrable in front of the North Stand was nearly 5,000-strong.

For each man putting in hit after hit to keep Wigan at bay, there was a rousing wave of support carrying them into every tackle from the masses behind the sticks.

A game played at such ferocity was always going to lead to mistakes, and Matty Smith took advantage by adding two early points before Joel Tomkins capitalised on a Blake Green break.

Wolves’ flurries into the Wigan half were intermittent, but the visitors enjoyed a large slice of fortune when Joel Monaghan reacted quickest to ground the loose ball.

Despite previous strong secondhalf performances it was always going to take a monumental effort at the DW Stadium for Wolves to progress.

However, Gareth O’Brien’s superb individual effort after Matty Bowen’s hesitancy in catching the half back’s high kick brought a thunderous roar as the game turned in Warrington’s favour.

For a moment, at least, it seemed as if a third successive Grand Final appearance was on the cards – could this be Wolves’ year?

Momentum swung one way and then back the other, until Stefan Ratchford slotted a penalty 15 minutes from time following Anthony Gelling’s try to leave the result hanging in the balance.

Cue an onslaught of drop goal attempts.

O’Brien, Smith and Richie Myler all exchanged misses as the pressure weighed upon their kicking boots.

More than 15,000 fans lived up to the cliché, the intensity drawing them to the edge of their seats, gnawing at their fingertips.

But, unfortunately for Wolves, once the ball reached Joe Burgess wide left, the teenager boasted the composure to break the hearts of those in primrose and blue with just 107 seconds left on the clock.

INTERESTING NOTES

Joel Monaghan’s 38th of the campaign makes him the highest Warrington try scorer in a single season since Brian Bevan (40) in the 1959-60 season

Monaghan was previously level with Bob Eccles’ effort from the 1982-83 season (37)

Bevan’s 66 in 1952-53 is the club record

MATCH FACTS

Super League play-offs, Friday, October 3, 2014

Wigan Warriors...16 Warrington Wolves...12

Wigan: Matty Bowen; Josh Charnley, Anthony Gelling, Dan Sarginson, Joe Burgess; Blake Green, Matty Smith; Ben Flower, Michael McIlorum, Dom Crosby, Joel Tomkins, Liam Farrell, Sean O’Loughlin. Subs: Sam Powell, Eddy Pettybourne, Tony Clubb, John Bateman.

Wolves: Stefan Ratchford; Joel Monaghan, Chris Bridge, Ryan Atkins, Rhys Evans; Gareth O’Brien, Richie Myler; Chris Hill, Michael Monaghan, Anthony England, James Laithwaite, Trent Waterhouse, Ben Harrison. Subs: Micky Higham, Roy Asotasi, Ben Currie, Matty Russell.

Scoring: Smith penalty, 7mins, 2-0; Farrell try claim ruled out on video, 14mins, 2-0; Tomkins try, 26mins, Smith goal, 8-0; J Monaghan try, 40mins, 8-4; Charnley try claim ruled out on video, 40mins, 8-4; O’Brien try, 45mins, O’Brien goal, 8-10; Gelling try, 54mins, 12-10; Ratchford penalty, 65mins, 12-12; Burgess try, 79mins, 16-12.

Referee: Phil Bentham

Penalties: Wigan 5 Wolves 9

Attendance: 15,023

Top man: Roy Asotasi

Watch highlights here: