Warrington Wolves...56 St. Helens...22

WARRINGTON fans had waited a long time for this.

The barmy army supporters were singing and chanting louder than ever before as the world club champions and back-to-back Grand Final winners were ripped to shreds at an emotionally-charged Wilderspool.

It was payback time for the 80-0 Regal Trophy semi-final defeat in 1996 and numerous other stuffings that Wolves fans have had to endure at Knowsley Road over the past six years.

This Super League Round Seven victory was Warrington's third on the trot and was their first against Saints since 1995 - the hoodoo is finally over and the pubs will probably run dry around Warrington after the game.

Afterwards coach Darry Van de Velde said: "The long drought is over and it was good for the fans to enjoy themselves."

There will be those who point to the sending off of Saints centre Paul Newlove after 32 minutes as being the reason for the Challenge Cup finalists' downfall in such a manner.

But the tide had already turned by then. Warrington were all guns blazing having fought back from 16-6 down to be leading 22-16 by the time Newlove was red-carded for a head-high tackle on his opponent Toa Kohe-Love.

This was the Wolves at their hungriest and it was thrilling to see the players enjoying themselves in such sparkling form.

One of the most successful features of their game was their kicking, with half-backs Lee Briers and Alan Langer pounding Ian Millward's men with pressure that Saints, and winger Anthony Sullivan in particular, could not handle.

Kohe-Love and former Saints star Alan Hunte crossed for hat-tricks of tries and others came from Ian Sibbit, two, and Rob Smyth, two. Briers kicked eight goals.

MATCH FACTS

Super League Round Seven, Friday, April 20, 2001

Warrington Wolves...56 St. Helens...22

SCORERS

Wolves: Tries: Hunte (5mins, 67, 73), Kohe-Love (18, 39, 50), Sibbit (21, 64), Smyth (28, 44). Goals: Briers 8.

Saints: Tries: Cunningham (2mins), Newlove (7), Hall (15), Jonkers (81). Goals: Martyn 3.

SCORING RATE: Wolves first: 0-6, 6-6, 6-12, 6-16, 12-16, 18-16, 22-16, 28-16, half-time; 34-16, 40-16, 44-16, 50-16, 56-16, 56-22.

PENALTIES: Wolves 8 Saints 7

SCRUMS: Wolves 7 Saints 11

WOLVES: Alan Hunte; Rob Smyth, Toa Kohe-Love, Ian Sibbit, Jamie Stenhouse; Lee Briers, Allan Langer; Martin Masella, David Highton, Danny Nutley, Steve McCurrie, Gary Mercer, Dean Busby. Subs used: David Kidwell, Andrew Gee, Paul Wood, David Alstead.

SAINTS: Anthony Stewart; Dwayne West, Steve Hall, Paul Newlove, Anthony Sullivan; Tommy Martyn, Paul Wellens; Wayne McDonald, Keiron Cunningham, Sonny Nickle, Peter Shiels, Chris Joynt, Paul Sculthorpe. Subs used: Tim Jonkers, Vila Matautia, John Stankevitch, Mike Bennett.

REFEREE: Bob Connolly

ATTENDANCE: 8,060

CONDITIONS: Cold but dry. Pitch, soft and slippery.