WE should know better than to write this Warrington Wolves side off now.
There will be plenty who will admit they were ready to read the last rites to another Challenge Cup campaign after a second-half Catalans onslaught overhauled the lead they had built.
Matty Ashton had other ideas, however.
The winger keeps turning up with key tries at important times, but his 12th in 13 games so far this year was his most significant to date as it allowed The Wire to snatch their second victory in Perpignan in a little over a month and remain on the road to Wembley.
To storm this fortress once in a season often takes a special effort but to do it twice in such a short space of time is testament to the fortitude within this dressing room.
Even when things aren’t quite clicking with their game as a whole, they are finding ways to get themselves through.
In each of the past three games now, they have overcome some patchy periods of performance to get the desired result – as the old sporting cliché goes, “good teams win ugly.”
Going forward, they will want to be more clinical when chances come their way – a concern Daryl Powell often voices despite boasting Super League’s leading attack in terms of points scored.
The 12-0 lead they built up would have been larger if their execution was a little better – it cost them three certain tries in all, which would have put them over the hill and far away.
Even in the second half, they failed to make the most of Catalans being down to 12 men for 10 minutes in a key second-half period – indeed, they trailed when Michael McIlorum returned to the fray having led when he was yellow-carded.
More composure in that period would have made life easier for themselves as when they did get things to click, they were able to open up the Dragons defence regularly.
Still, there can be few complaints about the position Warrington find themselves in.
Four points clear at the top of Super League and underway on the road to Wembley, now comes a key period as they look to balance their ambitions on two fronts.
If they retain the spirit and resolve that allowed them to storm this often impregnable fortress again, however, they surely will not go far wrong.
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