In what could be a dress rehearsal for the Middle Eights competition, tenth placed Warrington Wolves played hosts to fellow strugglers the ninth placed Catalans Dragons. A win for the Dragons would see them within two points of eighth placed Wigan Warriors but a loss would allow the hosts above them in the table.

The Dragons were 20-12 victors when the two sides met in Perpignan in Round One but much has changed for both sides since then and today's game was far more crucial.

There was no Lineham, King, Westwood or Ratchford for the home side but the visitors were also missing stars with Wiliame, Inu, Moa and Bird all missing. It's just that time in the Super League season when many squads hit a threadbare state.

It was the perfect start for the Dragons when they took full benefit of a penalty for moving off the mark to give the ball air with Luke Walsh putting Jodie Broughton over in the corner. The Walsh conversion kick was missed but already there was frustration amongst the Wolves crowd.

On seven a supporting Benjamin Jullien took a Ryan Atkins pass to score from close range after the Dragons were penalised for a push. Kurt Gidley put his conversion between the sticks for a 6-4 home lead.

Fifteen minutes of deadlock were broken by a Tony Gigot mistake for the Dragons with Kevin Penny picking up the dropped ball, and passing to Ryan Atkins to go over without a Dragons tackler getting a hand on him. Gidley failed to add the extras leaving his side with a 10-4 lead.

Tony Gigot went close on thirty-two but was tackled short but a fast play the ball allowed Richie Myler to take a Luke Walsh quick pass to go over under the sticks. Walsh kicked the goal to level the scores at 10-10.

Two minutes from the interval and Gidley was taken out off the ball after putting in a kick towards the sticks. Gidley kicked the penalty from where the ball landed, ten out from the sticks, to give the Wolves the half-time lead at 12-10.

On fifty-nine a Gidley penalty extended the lead to 14-10 and within a minute Ryan Atkins jumped the highest to grab his second when he collected a Gidley pinpoint kick, after a Clarke break to ten metres. Gidley failed to add the conversion from wide but his side had an eight point lead with eighteen minutes remaining.

Myler should have gone over off a Fouad Yaha pass on sixty-four but he spilled the ball.

On seventy Richie Myler grabbed his second of the game after the Wolves conceded a daft penalty. The Wolves went eighty metres with Myler being the quickest to react and grab the ball and run in. Luke Walsh added the extras to reduce the arrears to just two points with eight minutes left to play.

Two minutes from time a brilliant break by Will Dagger tormented the Catalans defence and earned the Wolves which they tapped and three plays into the set Andre Savelio went over under the posts to take the points and lift the Wolves into ninth in the table. Gidley added the extras for a final score of 24-16.

The Wolves breathed a massive sigh of relief that the registered their first win for five games. They are still in touch with the Wigan Warriors and the chance of escaping the bottom four but will be under no illusion about the size of the task ahead of them. New Dragons coach McNamara will look hard for positives from today's game as he tries to hold on to the hope that his side can perform a miracle and escape from the bottom four.

Wolves: Dagger, Johnson, Hughes, Atkins (2T), Penny, Patton, Gidley (4G), Hill, Dwyer, Cooper, Jullien (T), Philbin, Westerman. Subs: Clarke, Sims, Wilde, Savelio (T).

Dragons: Gigot, Broughton (T), Thornley, Duport, Yaha, Walsh (2G), Myler (2T), Moa, Aiton, Casty, Anderson, Garcia, Baitieri. Subs: Margaret, Bosquet, Simon, Da Costa.

Referee: Phil Bentham.

Half-Time: 12-10.

Full-Time: 24-16.

Attendance: 9,798.