Warrington secure semi-final spot by beating Leigh

Betfred Challenge Cup

Warrington (6) 24

Tries: Walker, King, Currie 2 Goals: Sneyd 4

Leigh (6) 10

Tries: Senior, Lam Goals: Cook

Warrington Wolves stayed on course for a third consecutive Challenge Cup final by coming from behind to beat Leigh Leopards in a fiercely-contested quarter-final.

The Leopards were set on avenging last week's 42-6 thrashing in Super League and tries from Innes Senior and Lachlan Lam, and an Adam Cook penalty, twice edged them in front.

Danny Walker's try had levelled for Wire, and then Toby King's score, converted by the influential Marc Sneyd, edged Warrington in front for the first time.

With Sneyd pulling all the strings, Warrington struck twice through Ben Currie to secure their place in the last four.

Sneyd has come back strongly after being left out of the team due to the form of promising 18-year-old Ewan Irwin and for the second week running he masterminded an important Wolves win over the Leopards.

Leigh were a different proposition from the side which was heavily beaten on Good Friday, with the return of Edwin Ipape and Tesi Niu giving them a better cutting edge, although the long-awaited first appearance of the season by Umyla Hanley only lasted for 25 minutes before he was forced off.

The Leopards were deservedly ahead by then as Lam's pass cut out three defenders and Senior finished brilliantly in the corner, with Cook slotting over a penalty to make it 6-0.

Warrington have been free-scoring this season and they drew level before half-time with effectively their first spell of pressure, Currie feeding Walker who dived full length to touch down.

With little to choose between the teams, Leigh stuck first after the break, Ipape making a half-break and then freeing Lam to streak away.

The Warrington side which fell away so badly in the second half of last season might have folded at that point, but Sam Burgess has instilled more steel in his team this time and they drew level as George Williams' fine pass gave King a one-on-one and he finished well.

Sneyd's conversion edged them ahead, and the 35-year-old half-back showed he can still run games by taking a pivotal role and nailing his kicks as Wire came strong at the end.

Twice he picked out quality grubber kicks and twice Currie was the first to react to claim two tries which put the game beyond Leigh.

Leigh coach Adrian Lam told BBC Radio Manchester:

"We were back to the team that we know we can be and with 20 minutes to go, roughly around the time they score their try, we were in control.

"Goal kicks win big games and the two goals [we missed] would have meant we led by eight points with 20 minutes to go and we would probably have won the game from that point.

"We didn't, and dropped the kick-off, and that flipped the momentum straight on its head. For the last 20 minutes we were under the cosh and got found out towards the end by a couple of really smart kicks.

"I'm frustrated but proud of the team, we couldn't have done more other than for a couple of big moments in the game."

Warrington: Taylor-Wray; Ashton, King, Hopoate, Josh Thewlis; Williams, Sneyd; Yates, Walker, Byrne, Stone, Bentley, Currie

Interchanges: Harrison, Powell, Philbin, Tanginoa

Leigh: O'Brien; Senior, Niu, Hanley, Charnley; Cook, Lam; Ofahengaue, Ipape, Mulhern, Trout, Hughes, Liu

Interchanges: Brogan, Davis, Alick-Wiencke, McNamara

Referee: Jack Smith.