Wilkins leads the way as Saints extend winning run to eight
St Helens 28 Hull 18
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Your support makes all the difference.Two tries from their young forward Jon Wilkin steered St Helens towards an eighth win in a row but one marked by occasional flashes of inspiration rather than a performance up to their normal standards.
Saints were extremely fortunate to be ahead after a first half in which they were never anywhere near their best. They started brightly enough and took a lead through Sean Long's penalty but their mistakes enabled Hull to dominate for long periods after that.
The visitors, without a win at Knowsley Road since the early 80s, took the lead after five minutes when Richie Barnett managed to stand in the tackle and slip his pass to Adam Maher who drove over the try-line.
Paul Cooke's goal was wiped out by a second long penalty before both teams had tries disallowed for players failing to ground the ball properly as they dived on to kicks.
Saints use of the ball was so ragged that Hull had repeated invitations to attack them, but a combination of their own errors and Saints' solid defence kept them out.
Perhaps the hardest thing about playing against St Helens is that they do not need to play well consistently to do damage. After fumbling their way through most of the half they suddenly burst into life six minutes before half-time, choosing to run a penalty and scoring the try that justified the decision when Kieron Cunningham put John Stankavich through.
Cooke narrowed the gap to two points with a penalty, but Hull were then caught unawares by Saints' short kick-off and, when the ball went wide, Anthony Stewart slipped it inside for Paul Wellens to touch down with Long's third goal completing a flattering eight-point lead.
If that was an ironic twist, it was nothing to what happened 10 minutes into the second half. Hull should have scored through Dean Treister's long break; instead, Barnett's desperate pass was intercepted by Wilkin and an exchange of passes with Darren Albert took him 90 yards for the game's crucial try.
Hull could not hit back until 15 minutes from time when Paul King's clever reverse pass put Craig Greenhill over. Any hopes of a late fight back disappeared when Wellens and Keith Mason made the running for Wilkin's second, even if Kirk Yeamen's effort in injury time made the scoreline look more respectable.
St Helens: Albert; Stewart, Wellens, Hooper; Gardner, Long; Higham, Britt, Cunningham, Ward, Stankevitch, Bennett, Jonkers.
Subs: Kirk Patrick, Mason, Wilkin, Edmondson
Hull: Barnett; Best, Wilkinson, G Horn, Raynor; Cooke, R Horn; Greenhill, Treister, Carvell, Maher, Ryan, Chester.
Subs: King, Dowgs, Yeaman, Fletcher
Ref: I Smith (Oldham)
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