WOLVES' improvements in this game were ultimately not enough as Wigan were just too good, especially in the second half.

For the observers it was a rollercoaster, having hopes built up in the first period and then demolished as Wigan scored 32 unanswered points – although it was only 16-6 until 13 minutes from the end.

It is a familiar tale, even if the reasons for a second-half Wire fade away are varying from week to week.

Had The Wire made the most of the chances they had, things could have been different.

But for all the plus marks that come with getting stuck into Wigan, going toe to toe with them and creating scoring opportunities, the final execution was way below the level it needs to be as half a dozen tries went begging over the 80 minutes.

Another issue was that The Wire spent too much time defending – 394 tackles compared to Wigan's 287 – and lost the territory battle, although these consistent factors in Warrington's performances this year did not contribute to the defeat as much as they have in the past.

As the points conceded gradually rose after the break Warrington were not falling off tackles through fatigue.

Wigan found it tough to break down a Wire defence in which Oliver Holmes epitomised the effort on show with a stunning 63 tackles.

Three of Wigan's tries came from being highly competitive in hunting kicks, though one should not have stood because Bevan French ripped the ball forward out of Matty Ashton's hands.

Although there was not a huge amount of errors, Warriors had the knack of finding a way to score on the set after one had been made.

That ruthless streak, patience, composure, confidence, high skill level, some smart plays and a bit of luck were the difference between two teams that were fully committed to contesting a keenly-fought 'derby'.

Putting it simply, The Wire were outclassed by a title-chasing unit but similar effort levels with improved finishing prowess would serve them well in the crunch relegation battle with Toulouse on Thursday.