Saints' dominance continues

Cunningham: man of the match

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St Helens continue to play the role of Warrington's Super League bogey team, Daniel Anderson's side beating the Wolves 30-22 at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.

The home side have not enjoyed a league victory against their near neighbours since 2001 but, in an entertaining and frenetic contest, it could not be said that Paul Cullen's side did not have chances to buck the trend.

Indeed, thanks in the main to a hat-trick of tries from Kevin Penny, Warrington led 22-14 with half an hour to go.

But Saints had a hat-trick man of their own in Paul Clough, with two late scores from the young back-rower, plus another from Ade Gardner, sealing the win.

The visitors also scored victory - one which takes their unbeaten run to 20 games - despite suffering further injury worries, with the returning Paul Sculthorpe an early casualty.

They were perhaps inevitable given the fast and furious nature of a match which saw Saints on the offensive from the off and, handed a penalty following a high tackle by Chris Riley on Lee Gilmour, they could have scored in the opening exchanges.

The returning Keiron Cunningham crossed the line - but he was held up by Warrington's defence.

The Wolves then turned defence into offence, with a break from Riley turning into a sweeping right-to-left move across the pitch - Michael Monaghan the lynchpin - that ended with Penny crossing emphatically for the evening's first try.

Chris Hicks added the extras, with Sculthorpe's return subsequently proving a brief one - the loose forward substituted after suffering a shoulder muscle injury after just eight minutes.

Monaghan came close to increasing Warrington's lead in spectacular fashion on 18 minutes - the Australian half-back running under the posts and onto Lee Briers' chip on the last tackle, but the visitors' defence held firm.

Momentum

Indeed, Saints were building from the back and their momentum was rewarded just past the halfway point of the first half when Clough scored their opening try.

The response came after Warrington conceded a penalty, Sculthorpe's replacement then being fed by Cunningham on the blindside before fending off the attentions of Matt King to touch down.

Sean Long missed the conversion but it seemed to matter little as Saints promptly scored again - Gardner scoring after spinning past Penny and Louis Anderson in the right-hand corner.

Again Long failed to kick the extras, his profligacy made more important when Penny touched down in a manner vitually identical to his opening score after 27 minutes.

Hicks also missed but the home side were back in front and it appeared both defences would hold sway for the remainder of the half.

However, just on the stroke of half-time, a long ball from Monaghan was intercepted by Francis Meli, the winger then sprinting from deep in his own half to touch down unopposed, Long this time converting.

Saints thus entered the second half 14-10 in front and Warrington's woes worsened straight from Long's kick-off - Monaghan failing to deal with the bounce and giving away a goal line drop-out.

However, both Willie Talau and Meli proved unable to touch down before, amazingly, Warrington were back level thanks to a stunning counter forged by Briers, the ball being switched flanks before being touched down in style by Penny, again in the left-hand corner.

Hicks converted to place the Wolves back in front and they then placed daylight between themselves and Saints with their fourth try after 48 minutes.

With Lee Gilmour having been penalised for interference, Ben Westwood took a Briers pass on an angled run before the supporting Jon Clarke finished the move off - Hicks again finding the target.

Daring to dream

The home fans were now daring to dream of victory, but their side seemed determined to make life as hard as possible for themselves: a late tackle by Clarke on Long resulting in a penalty deep in Wolves' territory, with the ball then being switched to Clough to score his second.

Long missed once again before tempers started to fray just before the hour - Briers giving away a soft penalty by poking James Graham in the eye in the scrum.

Saints could not capitalise but they levelled the scores with just over 10 minutes remaining after a long ball from Long found Gardner in acres of space to touch down his second.

The onus was now on Long to break the habit of an evening and find the target, which, when it mattered most, the halfback did to place his side two points ahead.

And home hearts sank moments later when King surrendered possession yards from his own whitewash - Clough making the tackle on the Australian and then finishing the move off for his own hat-trick.

Long converted, meaning it was now Warrington who needed two scores. Penny thought he had scored one with seven minutes remaining; however, King's final pass was forward.

The same player tried to make amends by surging forward during Warrington's next set, but a tackle from man of the match Cunningham halted their progress and ensured Saints took the points.