FULL TIME, PICTURES ADDED: St Helens 28 Warrington Wolves 18

9:40pm Friday 19th March 2010

By Mike Parsons

Tony Smith’s men missed the chance to go top of the Super League table after Friday night's annual defeat to St Helens in front of a sell-out 17,500 crowd at Knowsley Road.

The hoodoo struck again, with Wolves losing their 22nd successive game at Knowsley Road spanning 16 years.

A staggering 6,500 Wolves supporters made for a spectacular sight and atmosphere at the Eddington End as they felt this was the team’s perfect chance to gain their first win – home or away - against their fierce rivals since 2001.

After all, Wolves were going into the clash as the form team with five wins from six outings and the second best defence in the competition.

But Saints, fourth with two defeats, had some missing star names back in their ranks and raised their game as they always seem to do to send Warrington home empty handed and licking their wounds.

There was no shortage of effort from Warrington but they made more mistakes in the torrential rain that lashed down throughout the game.

Saints took a 20-4 lead in the second half and Wolves showed their character to battle back to within two points.

But Ade Gardner, a potent Saints try scorer against Wolves, settled the contest with his second try in the 66th minute.

Saints had some nervy moments as they attempted to prevent Wolves fighting back again, especially on their left where Richie Myler, Richie Mathers, Chris Bridge and particularly Matt King combined brilliantly in the second half.

For Saints, Kyle Eastmond was at the heart of their best work with the ball and his goalkicking kept nudging Saints ahead at crucial times.

Both sides scored four tries but Wolves, giving their green and red alternative kit an airing for their first time, managed just one conversion, while Eastmond kicked all his attempts including two penalties.

Defences were in control for the majority of the first half, with chances at a premium although it was Wolves’ try line that had more of a pounding.

England half back Eastmond skipped past Garreth Carvell on the 40-metre line and blasted away before skinning Mathers to score.

Wolves got on the scoreboard in the 32nd minute after Saints conceded successive penalties.

Stand off Simon Grix collected the ball at first receiver and as a gap opened in front of him he angled a 15-metre charge to the line.

Myler, who had received some heavy treatment from Saints' defence as a targeted dangerman, was well off aim with the conversion attempt but the gap was cut to two points.

Saints got over again three minutes before half time after earning a penalty and making 40 yards with a raking touch kick.

Wolves defended their line strongly but a Jon Wilkin grubber kick caused a scramble that led to the England back rower touching down.

Chris Flannery first failed to get the touch and then the ball ricocheted off Chris Riley as he tried to clean up before Wilkin was able to pounce.

Saints had to reshuffle at the start of the second half, with Eastmond switching to full back after Paul Wellens limped off.

Eastmond remained Saints’ most creative force, though, and struck again in the 47th minute.

His high kick came down with snow on it and when Mathers fumbled, Eastmond picked up, scooted right and fed Gardner for his customary try against Warrington.

It was the first try Wolves had conceded in the second half of a game since losing at home to Wigan on February 20.

Saints were threatening again when Carvell was penalised for holding down James Graham and Eastmond popped over the penalty goal 10 metres from the sticks to stretch the lead to 20-4.

Wolves needed to score the next try to give themselves a chance and they got it through King.

Carvell’s offload from a close-range surge allowed Mickey Higham and Mathers to open up some space for King to step inside and force his way over for his seventh try in four games in the 55th minute.

A penalty for offside from a kick put Wolves back on the attack again and they produced another positive response.

Michael Monaghan’s cross-field kick was dropped by Gardner and Ben Harrison was there to drop on the ball over the line in the 59th minute.

Bridge’s conversion made it 20-14 and Wolves pounced again three minutes later.

After a penalty conceded for a high tackle by Flannery, Wolves shifted the ball right where Myler used dangerous King as a foil and sent the ball deep to Bridge allowing him to feed Hicks in at the corner.

Bridge was short with the conversion attempt but Saints’ lead was cut to two points.

The momentum changed with Myler’s knock on from first receiver on the halfway line.

Saints capitalised when the ball was swung right for Gidley to launch Gardner over in the corner despite Mathers’ last-ditch attempt to bang him into touch. Eastmond’s towering conversion from the touchline made it 26-18 with 14 minutes to go.

It turned out to be too much for Wolves to pull back in the energy-sapping conditions and after a lot of defence to make amends for handling errors and costly penalties.

However, Wolves did look likely to score again on the right in the 71st minute but Mathers backed himself to reach the line when Hicks was in a better position and the chance went begging thanks to desperate scrambling defence.

Eastmond had the final say with a last-second penalty goal after a drop out failed to go the 10 metres.

Wolves: Richie Mathers; Chris Hicks, Matt King, Ryan Atkins, Chris Riley; Simon Grix, Richie Myler; Adrian Morley, Michael Monaghan, Garreth Carvell, Ben Westwood, Louis Anderson, Ben Harrison. Subs: Chris Bridge, Mickey Higham, Paul Wood, David Solomona.

Saints: Paul Wellens; Ade Gardner, Matt Gidley, Chris Dean, Francis Meli; Leon Pryce, Kyle Eastmond; James Graham, Keiron Cunningham, Tony Puletua, Chris Flannery, Sia Soliola, Jon Wilkin. Subs: James Roby, Bryn Hargreaves, Paul Clough, Maurie Fa’asavalu.