WOLVES were taught a lesson in how to put a team to bed in Friday's derby at Wigan.

While the hosts had Sam Tomkins in the sin-bin for dissent midway through the second half, The Wire managed to level the game at 6-6 courtesy of skipper-for-the-night Stefan Ratchford's quick actions from a smart and skilful Dec Patton grubber kick that exploited the Wigan full-back's absence.

AS IT HAPPENED: Wigan Warriors v Warrington Wolves

But Steve Price's side failed to raise the intensity sufficiently to take full advantage of having the extra man, with penalties costing them dominance of possession in the period.

However, when Tom Lineham was shown a yellow card for a swinging arm on opposite winger Dom Manfredi in the 68th minute Wigan went for the jugular and bagged three tries in six minutes to secure a flattering scoreline in what until then had been a fiercely contested risk-free encounter between rivals each missing at least six regulars.

Defences had been on top for 71 minutes, Tommy Leuluai's converted touch down from a John Bateman kick opening the scoring in the 35th minute.

Wire had a couple of first-half chances but failed to take them as another clever short kick from Patton, at scrum half in place of Tyrone Roberts, went unrewarded when Ratchford fumbled over the line under Tomkins' challenge, while the hard-working Bodene Thompson was held up over the whitewash from a Harvey Livett pass.

A little more luck on those occasions could have changed the course of the game but Wigan showed their clinical edge when they punished The Wire for a below-par kick chase for the try that sparked the late rally.

It can be argued Patton's high kick was a good one, splitting winger Manfredi and replacement full-back Morgan Escare as well as achieving a bounce that could have seen the ball go anywhere as four Wire players closed in.

But the bounce fell nicely for French international Escare, he easily skirted Lineham's replacement Ben Pomeroy and sent Oliver Gildart racing 60 metres.

Although impressive 19-year-old Wire debutant Luis Johnson covered the ground brilliantly so that he and Ratchford could stop the break, there was no stopping Manfredi on the next tackle as he soared through a scrambling defence.

With Tomkins' conversion giving Wigan what looked to be a match-winning lead they exploded through Wire twice more in the final five minutes, Manfredi marking his return from successive ACL operations to take the headlines with a second score.

This result means unless third-placed Castleford, who are four points clear, lose their remaining two games and Wire win theirs then a visit to League Leaders' Shield winners St Helens is on its way in the semi finals.

INTERESTING NOTES:

  • Lowest attendance for Wigan v Wire game at DW Stadium since 11,224 on May 16, 2003. Gates for Wigan v Wire had been 8,000-10,000 higher between 2010 and 2013.

  • Sixth Wire loss in last 10 meetings with Wigan.

  • Wolves were missing Kevin Brown, Tyrone Roberts, Chris Hill, Mike Cooper, Ben Murdoch-Masila, Sita Akauola, Mitch Brown, Ben Currie.

  • Absent for Wigan were Joe Burgess, Liam Marshall, Ben Flower, Liam Farrell, Joe Greenwood, Sean O'Loughlin.

  • First loss for Wire since Challenge Cup Final.

  • Sixth win on the run for Wigan.

  • Tommy Leuluai and Dom Manfredi scored their first tries for Wigan this year.

MATCH FACTS:

Super 8s Round Five, Friday, September 14, 2018

Wigan Warriors...26 Warrington Wolves...6

Warriors: Sam Tomkins; Dom Manfredi, Oliver Gildart, Dan Sarginson, Tom Davies; George Williams, Tommy Leuluai; Tony Clubb, Sam Powell, Romain Navarette, John Bateman, Willie Isa, Gabe Hamlin. Subs: Morgan Escare, Ryan Sutton, Oliver Partington, Taulima Tautai.

Wolves: Stefan Ratchford; Josh Charnley, Ryan Atkins, Bryson Goodwin, Tom Lineham; Harvey Liv ett, Dec Patton; George King, Daryl Clark, Ben Westwood, Bodene Thompson, Toby King, Jack Hughes. Subs: Joe Philbin, Luis Johnson, Morgan Smith, Ben Pomeroy.

Scoring: Leuluai try, 39mins, Tomkins goal, 6-0; Ratchford try, 55mins, Patton goal, 6-6; Williams penalty, 59mins, 8-6; Manfredi try, 73mins, Tomkins goal, 14-6; Manfredi try, 77mins, Tomkins goal, 20-6; Sutton try, 78mins, Tomkins converts, 26-6

Penalties: Warriors 9 Wolves 7

Sin bin: Tomkins (52mins, dissent), Lineham (68mins, swinging arm)

Referee: Robert Hicks.

Attendance: 12,372

Top Man: To be decided by reader poll HERE.