Saints add more misery to Wigan's week

Rugby League

DAVE HADFIELD

St Helens 41 Wigan 26

A mortifying week for Wigan ended with the greatest torment of all as they were well-beaten by the neighbours on whom they have inflicted so much misery.

Saints shrugged off a dreadful start at Knowsley Road yesterday when it seemed that so much recent history was destined to be repeated. They eventually outclassed Wigan decisively, even if their victory was not clinched until the last 10 minutes.

Although the 19-year-old winger, Danny Arnold, ran in a hat-trick of tries, making it seven in two games since the launch of Super League, and Bobbie Goulding made a major contribution by getting on top of Shaun Edwards, Saints' outstanding player was the Australian, Derek McVey, playing his first full match for the club.

It was McVey who began the repair work after a slipshod St Helens had conceded early tries to Terry O'Connor and Va'aiga Tuigamala, a one-handed pass out of the tackle giving Arnold his first try.

A suspiciously forward pass from O'Connor to Andy Farrell set up Martin Hall for a try which seemed to put Wigan back in control at 16-4, but that sparked a Saints backlash that brought them 22 points without reply.

McVey's driving run set up the position from which Karle Hammond and Scott Gibbs put Arnold over once more.

When McVey, looking an inspired signing from the Sydney Tigers, got his pass away again for Keiron Cunningham to score, Saints were only two points behind at half-time and would have been ahead if it had not been for two of Goulding's kicks hitting the post.

It is on fine margins like that that so many of Saints' hopes have foundered in the past, but they were in no mood to let Wigan off the hook yesterday.

In the third quarter of the match, they drew level through Goulding's penalty and took the lead for the first time when Ian Pickavance charged straight through Henry Paul.

When McVey and Cunningham conjured up a third try for Arnold and Goulding chipped in with a drop goal, Wigan seemed finished, but back they came through Rob Smyth, an early substitute for the injured Martin Offiah.

Goulding's penalty edged Saints further ahead but a second try for Hall, given on video evidence, and Paul's conversion had Wigan lurking just three points in arrears.

Saints kept their nerve, snatching the crucial try when Kris Radlinski lost Goulding's hard, low kick for Tommy Martyn, back after almost a year out injured, to score.

Wigan's disarray was summed up when Andy Northey ran through Edwards' attempted tackle in injury time.

"Wigan will bounce back," Shaun McRae, Saints' coach, said. "There will be a pay-back from them, so we aren't getting carried away."

Wigan's Graeme West refused to blame the distraction of having two directors arrested in midweek for his side's failure. "You can't use that as an excuse. They are professional players and they should not be worrying about anything else," he said. An extra worry for Wigan, however, is Offiah, who was having X-rays on his back last night and looks doubtful for the match against Warrington on Monday.

St Helens: Prescott; Arnold, Gibbs, Newlove, Sullivan; Hammond, Goulding; Perelini, Cunningham, Fogerty, Joynt, McVey, Northey. Substitutes: Martyn, Matautia, Morley, Pickavance.

Wigan: Radlinski; Robinson, Tuigamala, Connolly, Offiah; Paul, Edwards; Cowie, Hall, O'Connor, Quinnell, Cassidy, Farrell. Substitutes: Smyth, Skerrett, Johnson, Haughton.

Referee: S Cummings (Widnes).