Warrington hold nerve to deny Anderson

Halifax BlueSox 16 Warrington Wolves 19

Warrington greatly improved their chances of staying in Super League as they denied Tony Anderson a winning start to his reign as Halifax coach at The Shay yesterday. The Wolves' first win under their own new coach, Paul Cullen, moved them level on points with Halifax, who gave a rousing welcome to Anderson on his return to the club, but it will clearly be some time before his methods start to take effect.

The first half was very much what was to be expected; two nervous sides trying to do everything at breakneck speed, and rarely succeeding.

After an early exchange of penalties, Warrington generated the greater momentum and Lee Briers scored the game's first try, selling a dummy and sneaking over.

His second goal made it a six-point lead, but gradually, and without looking particularly convincing, Halifax started to take the initiative. In the five minutes before half-time, they scored two tries to take the lead for the first time.

In keeping with the lack of fluency in the game, they were scored from close range, first by Paul Davidson, running on to Johnny Lawless's pass and then by Shayne McMenemy, who benefited from an inside ball delivered by Gavin Clynch.

Two missed conversions left Halifax two points ahead at half-time, an advantage wiped out by another Briers penalty. They regained the lead thanks to Darren Burns, their outstanding player on the day, who made the initial break through the defence and then was there in support to take Ben Westwood's return pass and touchdown.

Briers's conversion and penalty gave his side something of a buffer, strengthened when he put over a long-range drop goal 13 minutes from time.

Warrington were now in a winning position, but they did their best to squander it in the last few minutes when Dave Alstead got himself needlessly sent to the sin bin for obstructing Danny Hallifell, and almost immediately Davidson went over for his second try from Andrew Dunemann's pass and Jamie Bloem landed the goal.

That made it a precarious three-point lead, and if McMenemy had not been judged to have knocked on, even that could have disappeared.

The Wolves hung on in the dying minutes, but there will be a few more nerve-racking moments before either of these sides can say they are safe.

Halifax BlueSox: Donlan; Halliwell, Woods, Flowers, Beckett; Dunemann, Clinch; Goldsphink, Lawless, Hobson, Gannon, Bloom, McMenemy. Substitutes used: Thackeray, Clayton, Davidson, Netherton.

Warrington Wolves: Penny; Smyth, Alstead, Westwood, Appo; Briers, N Wood; Hilton, Clarke, Fozzard, Busby, Guiset, Burns. Substitutes used: O'Reilly, Laughton, P Wood, Marquet.

Referee: R Smith (Castleford).