ST HELENS 34 WIGAN WARRIORS 24
TOM ALDERSON, BrewDog Stadium, Friday

‘NEVER write off the Saints’ is an old and famous Rugby League saying and never has it been truer than in this year’s Good Friday clash as the red vee stunned Wigan late on.

Trailing by 14 points to their bitter rivals with eight minutes left, Paul Rowley’s men – missing an entire team worth of players to injury – put together a blistering spell, scoring four tries without reply.

That included two in two minutes by debutant Bill Leyland, one of two Hull KR loanees hastily signed for the fixture alongside Jordan Dezaria, to snatch a derby victory from the jaws of defeat and shellshock the Warriors.

While Saints’ response to a hammering at Hull KR the previous week could not have been better, it’s another remarkable reverse for Wigan after their defeat at home to bottom side Huddersfield.

It looked certain the cherry and whites would be the side to return to form, having built an impressive lead in the second half, however Saints refused to go away.

They left it late but were simply superb in the final quarter, executing with patience and precision to take out a well-earned victory.

Wigan took the lead after seven minutes with Harry Smith going back against the grain and slicing through the line to score under the posts. 

The home side responded in kind to post their first points. After Tristan Sailor had manufactured a repeat set from a kick, the halfback then found a tidy offload for Matt Whitley to score on the right.

But the Warriors were dominating field position and soon grabbed their second try through Jack Farrimond, who dived over after Zach Eckersley had batted back his high kick. 

Adam Keighran converted both early Wigan efforts to make it a two-score lead, although Saints responded again to cut the gap. 

After being camped close to the line, fantastic strength and determination from Daryl Clark took him through the defence to touch down, and Sailor landed the conversion to cut the deficit to 10-12 at the break.

The next score went the way of Wigan, with Smith doing well to evade a tackle before putting a deft kick through for Jai Field, back in the side after missing the last four weeks through injury, to grab a converted try and re-establish an eight-point lead with 25 to play. 

A well-worked try to Zach Eckersley, who supported an Oliver Partington break, made it a three-score advantage and the game looked to be over.

Yet the hosts kept coming and clawed a try back through Jackson Hastings, who was on hand to support a break from Lewis Murphy to breathe life back into the contest.

Sailor then barged his way over a couple of minutes later from close range to set up a grandstand finish. 

Wigan had no answer to the Saints onslaught as the home side scored their third and fourth try without reply to complete the comeback.

Both scores came to Leyland, who darted over from close range to give his new team the lead for the first time with two minutes to go, before the substitute hooker pounced on a wayward Wigan short kick-off to race 40 metres and send the home fans into raptures. 

GAMESTAR: Tristan Sailor was involved in everything Saints did right, setting up one try, scoring one and causing Wigan countless problems late in the game.

GAMEBREAKER: Bill Leyland’s runaway score in the final minute rubber-stamped an astounding comeback for Saints.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: Wigan scored the try of the game from 70 metres out, with multiple offloads releasing Oliver Partington downfield who found Zach Eckersley for an eye-catching score.

ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Tristan Sailor (St Helens)
2 pts Daryl Clark (St Helens)
1 pt Brad O’Neill (Wigan Warriors)

MATCHFACTS

SAINTS
3 Harry Robertson
24 Owen Dagnall
16 Matt Whitley
5 Deon Cross
20 Lewis Murphy
6 Tristan Sailor
31 Jackson Hastings
13 David Klemmer
9 Daryl Clark
19 Agnatius Paasi
12 Shane Wright
18 Jake Wingfield
22 Joe Shorrocks
Subs (all used)
21 Noah Stephens
28 Jake Davies
32 Jordan Dezaria (D)
33 Bill Leyland (D)
18th man (not used)
29 Alfie Sinclair
Also in 21-man squad
– Tom Humphreys
– Billy Keeley
– Chris Matagi

Tries: Whitley (15), Clark (30), Hastings (72), Sailor (75), Leyland (78, 79)
Goals: Sailor 5/6

WARRIORS
1 Jai Field
2 Zach Eckersley
3 Adam Keighran
12 Liam Farrell
5 Liam Marshall
19 Jack Farrimond
7 Harry Smith
8 Ethan Havard
9 Brad O’Neill
10 Luke Thompson
11 Junior Nsemba
14 Sam Walters
13 Kaide Ellis
Subs
15 Patrick Mago
17 Oliver Partington
20 Sam Eseh (not used)
28 Noah Hodkinson (not used)
18th man (not used)
25 Taylor Kerr
Also in 21-man squad
23 Kian McDermott
27 Lukas Mason
32 Dayon Sambou

Tries: Smith (7), Farrimond (21), Field (54), Eckersley (66)
Goals: Keighran 4/4

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 4-6, 4-12, 10-12; 10-18, 10-24, 16-24, 22-24, 28-24, 34-24

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Saints: Tristan Sailor; Warriors: Brad O’Neill

Penalty count: 8-5
Half-time: 10-12
Referee: Jack Smith
Attendance: 17,980