Wigan stunned by Crusaders
The Celtic Crusaders claimed just a second win in Super League as they shocked Wigan Warriors 22-16 in Bridgend.
Last Updated: 14/06/09 11:23am
The Celtic Crusaders claimed only their second engage Super League win as they upset Wigan Warriors 22-16 in Bridgend.
Wigan have not had the best of seasons with just seven wins so far, but they would not have expected to lose against the Super League newcomers.
The odds were stacked against the Welshmen before kick-off, with the bottom side desperately needing to cause an upset or lose touch with the rest of the league, with them being eight points adrift of Salford.
But, with a raft of injuries causing Crusaders' coach John Dixon headaches, it only meant their problems were aggravated.
Wigan, though, found themselves behind by 12-6 at half-time as the match, which was expected to be one-way traffic towards the visitors, was nothing of the kind.
Fast start
In the first few minutes, Wigan's huge side looked too big for the Welsh club and the expected ritual thumping of the previous few weeks was looking ominous.
But the Crusaders finally got it right although they could have found themselves well behind had Wigan not squandered chances and had wing Luke Dyer not pulled off a tremendous try-saving tackle to deny Shaun Ainscough.
Instead, they turned on a fantastic half of rugby in which there was not one penalty conceded by either side and the Welshmen gave as good as they got.
In fact, they went in front when Australian wing Mark Lennon made a decisive break down the left, passed to the excellent Peter Lupton to put scrum-half Jace Van Dijk on a 20-yard run under the posts for Lennon to convert.
Wigan hit back, though, when second-rower Harrison Hansen drove over as the Warriors put the pressure on the home team inside their 25 with Pat Richards converting.
Dream on
But a huge crossfield kick by Van Dijk sent Peter Lupton over near the posts and, with Lennon's conversion, the dream was on.
It got better when centre Mark Dalle Cort went over for a third try just before the hour mark that Lennon then converted.
But it could not last and, on the hour, Wigan began to hit back with a vengeance. They smashed at the Crusaders defence until it finally buckled for centre Cameron Phelps to go over near the line.
Richards, though, missed the conversion and, with the scores level at 16-16, there was a glimmer of hope for the Crusaders.
However, the roof came off The Brewery Field when Lupton, comfortably man of the match, drove over in the corner and, when Lennon converted, there was no way back for the Warriors.
