GUARDIAN VERDICT: Celtic Crusaders 6 Warrington Wolves 22

11:23am Thursday 9th July 2009

By Connor Murphy

Warrington got the job done on their debut at Bridgend’s Brewery Field to ensure a winning Super League record for the first time this season.

Tony Smith’s side now have 10 wins and nine defeats from their 19 games - remarkable considering they started the campaign with five straight defeats - and trail fourth-placed Hull KR by only three points.

Although Saturday’s sortie to south Wales did not provide overwhelming evidence to support their newfound status as one of the competition’s top teams, it was quietly reassuring.

When a professional performance was needed, the players provided exactly that. The modest scoreline hardly reflects the comfort with which Warrington racked up another two points.

For all their passion and effort, Celtic barely troubled the visitors’ defence. Indeed, you could count the number of clean breaks by Crusaders on one finger, never mind one hand.

It is hard to understand why more teams have not come a cropper at Brewery Field this season when watching Celtic players fight wholeheartedly for a full 80 minutes.

Warrington started the game well, showing good line speed and plenty of purpose in attack but, aside from Jon Clarke’s fortunate ninth minute score, were thwarted by the solid home defence.

Throwing themselves into every tackle as if Saturday’s game were a Grand Final, Celtic forced errors and indecision from the Warrington players.

Too often, particularly during the first half, ball went to ground early in sets and at least one try-scoring opportunity was bombed - the most memorable being when Simon Grix lost possession 10 metres from the try line.

All of that will provide Smith and the coaching staff with plenty to work on, yet the outlook after the game remains an overwhelmingly positive one.

When they are pushed to perform, the calm efficiency of this Wolves team is truly impressive and they made their extra quality count to coolly dismantle Crusaders in the 24 minutes after the break.

Richie Mathers took many of the plaudits for his two tries and the hardworking full back certainly deserved both.

But his scores only came on the back of stellar midfield work, capitalising on breaks by both Chris Bridge and Matt King.

The Australian’s 40-metre dart was the shining highlight of an otherwise average game and King is now beginning to exhibit the class he undoubtedly possesses on a frighteningly regular basis.

With that kind of gamebreaking ability throughout the backs added to the solid base Warrington’s defence provides, it is not hard to see why optimism continues to grow.

Crusaders: Marshall Chalk; Luke Dyer (1t), Steve Tyrer, Mark Dalle Cort, Anthony Blackwood; Mark Lennon (1g), Jace Van Dijk; Ryan O'Hara, Lincoln Withers, Mark Bryant, Jordan James, Chris Beasley, Peter Lupton. Subs used: Ben Flower, Jason Chan, Neil Budworth, Geraint Davies.

Wolves: Richie Mathers (2t); Chris Hicks (3g), Chris Bridge, Matt King, Chris Riley; Simon Grix, Michael Monaghan; Adrian Morley, Jon Clarke (1t), Paul Wood, Louis Anderson, Ben Westwood, Ben Harrison (1t). Subs used: Paul Johnson, Vinnie Anderson, Garreth Carvell, Mike Cooper.

Scoring: Celtic defence fails to deal with high bomb from Grix and Clarke snaffles loose ball to race in at the right corner, 9mins, Hicks converts, 0-6; Monaghan’s delightful offload out the back allows Mathers to send Harrison crashing over the line from close range, 52mins, Hicks adds the extras, 0-12; Bridge slices through the Celtic line off short pass from Wood and Mathers supports his superb 30-metre break to score comfortably, 57mins, Hicks kicks the goal, 0-18; King shows power and pace to make a dazzling 40-metre break before sending in Mathers for his second try of the game, 64mins, 0-22; Dyer claims Van Dijk’s pinpoint crossfield kick to touch down a consolation score, 77mins, Lennon adds the extras, 6-22.

Interesting note: Richie Mathers’ two tries were his first for Wolves in Super League and his first since a debut double against Featherstone in the Challenge Cup.