Brave Saints repel Warriors

St Helens managed to hold off a late Wigan fightback to win a scintillating derby 26-24 at the DW Stadium.

The visitors looked to be cruising to victory when Jamie Foster crossed on the right to put them 14 points clear with just 13 minutes remaining.

However, tries from Michael McIlorum and Martin Gleeson gave the current Super League leaders a glimmer of hope in the final few minutes.

In the end Saints, without six first-team regulars, survived the onslaught at the death to move within two points of Michael Maguire's table-toppers.

Seized control

Saints had seized control of the contest in the first 40 minutes, tries from Leon Pryce, Francis Meli and James Roby helping them go 16-6 clear at the break.

They enjoyed a purple period in attack that saw all their points come in a 15-minute spell that was triggered by a moment of magic from Pryce.

Following up his own 40-20 that secured possession at the scrum, the stand-off put his side into a lead that they would not surrender when he shrugged off Phil Bailey to waltz over the line next to the uprights.

Meli's score was also down to some individual brilliance; the winger, realising he was running out of room on the left, putting in a short kick that he just about managed to get a fingertip to as he dived forwards at full stretch.

When Roby worked his way over from dummy-half soon afterwards for a third try, Saints had stunned their old foes with 16 unanswered points.

Left reeling on the ropes in the battle of two of the biggest heavyweights of the sport, Wigan cleared their heads before responding right on the half-time hooter through Karl Pryce, who shoved off Jamie Foster to go over.

The winger's 12th try in his last eight outings was much-needed, particularly after a chance had gone begging just before when Pat Richards, who had given his team an early lead with a penalty, failed to hold on to a pass from Joel Tomkins with the line at his mercy.

The miss didn't seem too important when the Cherry and Whites scored again straight after the re-start - scrum-half Thomas Leuluai the man to touch down.

Countered

The hosts were now in the ascendency but Saints weathered the storm, not for the last time in the game, before countering with a try at the other end.

Paul Wellens - who excelled in his role at full-back throughout - was on hand to accept an offload from Bryn Hargreaves and dive across the line.

Foster landed the easy conversion and then seemed to deliver the knockout blow by accepting Matt Gidley's pass and cantering over on the right.

To their credit Wigan refused to give in, hooker McIlorum bulldozing his way over before ex-Saint Gleeson then dummied his way through to score another.

With Richards converting both, the home faithful thought they were on the verge of seeing their team clinch a famous double over Saints.

It wasn't to be, though, Wellens superbly marshalling his troops to make sure the line was not breached again. The triumph for Mick Potter's side leaves them four points behind their rivals in the battle to be crowned minor premiers.