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Warrington captain George Williams kept his nerve to kick the match-winning golden point and seal a thrilling 23-22 win over St Helens in their Betfred Super League play-off at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
The hosts had stormed back from a 12-point first-half deficit in a clash of unrelenting action only for a touchline conversion from Saints centre Mark Percival with time up on the stadium clock to force the extra period and threaten one last twist.
Instead it was Warrington who fashioned field position and after having his first effort charged down, Williams seized his second chance to give his side a semi-final trip to Hull KR on Friday and bring the visitors’ season to a painful close.
Saints, who scraped into the post-season in the sixth and final slot, had risen to the occasion and two tries from Tommy Makinson – which more than made up for his early blunder that gave Wire the lead – threatened to rip up the script and extend the season for Paul Wellens’ men.
But Wire, for whom Matty Ashton and Toby King finished with a brace each and Josh Thewlis added six points with the boot, came back firing and thought they had clinched victory when Ashton seized on a defensive error to cross for his second 15 minutes from time, only for there to be more drama to come as both sides pushed for glory.
The tie was eventful from the opening whistle as Saints veteran Makinson – ending his 13-year-career with the club before his move to Catalans next season – fumbled straight from kick off and Wire sent King over to open the scoring with 90 seconds on the clock.
But Saints stirred and by half-time Makinson had completed his transformation from villain to hero with two tries to put his side in a commanding position.
Daryl Clark capitalised on a repeat set to send the winger squeezing over in the corner, then an uncharacteristic error by Matt Dufty gave Matt Percival – who also kicked the opening conversion – the chance to stretch over and extend Saints’ lead.
Wellens’ team were summoning some of their best form of the season when it mattered most, and after Percival’s second conversion they went even further in front through Makinson when he flopped over from close range after a strong carry by Sione Mata’utia.
At 16-4 the game looked to be drifting away from the shellshocked home side, but Williams had other ideas, darting across the Saints line on the left before spooning the ball to Ashton to nip over, Thewlis’ conversion hauling the hosts back to within six at the interval.
The end-to-end action continued at the start of the second period with both sides threatening before another neat off-load by the increasingly influential Williams sent King galloping over and Thewlis’ kick completed the hosts’ fightback to level.
Saints were the architects of their own demise 15 minutes from time when a loose pass was missed by Joe Batchelor and King capitalised by sending Ashton whizzing over to give his side the lead for the first time since the second minute.
Thewlis sent the hosts six clear after a comedy of errors in the Saints back-line, and it looked enough to send them into the semi-final before the extraordinary late drama as Bennison crossed in the corner in the final minute and Percival somehow kept his cool to kick the crucial conversion from the touchline with time up on the stadium clock.
Williams saw his first chance of the extra period charged down but the England captain did not miss with his second attempt to spark jubilant scenes in the home stands and bring an enthralling contest to a close.
