Wolves' finale leaves Sox reeling

Rob Smyth made up for an early error

Halifax Blue Sox 30-32 Warrington Wolves

Warrington Wolves won an 11-try thriller at The Shay to leave Halifax still searching for their first win under new coach Steve Linnane.

Halifax had led until the 71st minute, but two tries in four minutes by Wolves forwards Martin Masella and Dean Busby handed Wire their second Super League win in four days.

And although substitute Jamie Bloem scored his second try with a minute to play, it proved too little, too late as Halifax went down to a fourth successive defeat.

It had all started so brightly for the home side who took the lead on three minutes.

Young full-back Stuart Donlan made an immediate impact on his Super League debut for Sox.

He powered through two sets of tackles and passed inside for Adam Hughes to score, with Danny Tickle adding the goal.

Jamie Bloem kept up the Sox attack to the end

But the lead did not last long. Former Sox coach Gary Mercer took the ball up, it was played back to Allan Langer, and quick hands saw the ball through Alan Hunte for Dean Busby to score.

Lee Briers' goal levelled the scores.

In a bad-tempered first-half, Masella was sin-binned for a high tackle on Gavin Clinch and Tickle restored the lead with the penalty.

Halifax regained the lead as Clinch's kick was fumbled by Rob Smyth and Damien Gibson bounced on the loose ball.

But Smyth soon made amends finishing off a flowing move in the corner with Briers' conversion levelling the scores.

An entertaining half ended with the home side back in front as Hughes crossed for his second converted by Tickle.

Four minutes after the re-start, Smyth bagged his second when he caught Briers raking crossfield kick to touch down. Briers' superb touchline goal hauled the Wolves level.

But once again Halifax regained the lead as Bloem held off four would-be tacklers to go in under the posts, with Tickle again adding the extras.

Two tries from Hughes were still not enough

But the never-say-die Wolves struck back as Hunte ran 50 metres to score in the corner and set up a grandstand finish.

He did not appear to ground the ball properly but the referee allowed the score to stand.

Then came the dramatic final 10 minutes with Wolves' battling spirit ensuring that they took home the points.

"We do not have the type of player who can turn the game around," said Halifax coach Linnane.

"That is down to the decisions made by the Blue Sox in terms of players they did not sign in the close season and it is going to take 12 months to turn that around.

"We lack a Langer or a Briers who can win a game, and although we have Andrew Dunemann he is likely to be out for five weeks. But we still could have won," he said.

Halifax skipper Marty Moana said: "We have lacked a killer instinct in the last few games and our problem has been not finishing teams off. We need to work on that."

Wolves coach Darryl van de Velde said his team would have to tighten up defensively ahead of Friday's clash with St Helens.

"We will have to work hard on our defence but I'm delighted with our second win over Easter, which has given us something to build on," he said.