WOLVES MELT AWAY

St Helens 48

By PHIL HOWARTH

WARRINGTON Wolves looked on target to break their Super League duck against St Helens before being hit for six in a nightmare second half.

And it was former Wilderspool favourite Paul Sculthorpe who led the charge on his first return since transferring to the Saints.

It was Sculthorpe's try that wrecked the 12-10 lead the Wolves held for only four happy minutes early in the second half.

The match ended in Warrington's second worst home defeat ever against St Helens and the end of any realistic hopes of a play-off place come October.

A second half display littered with missed tackles and dropped balls was in painful contrast to the way the Wolves dominated possession in the first 40 minutes.

But hard tackling from the Saints enabled them to soak up Warrington's energy in the heat and humidity of a perfect summer's day before cutting loose later on.

Warrington were out of blocks in impressive style once again as they tackled Sean Long behind the try line from kick-off.

Lee Briers then kicked them into a second minute lead after Damien Smith was penalised for a high tackle on Mike Pechey.

It was a full-blooded encounter on all sides with Steve McCurrie tangling with Sculthorpe and Pechey mixing it with Chris Smith before the dust settled.

Pechey got his home debut off to a perfect start when he crashed over for the first try after nine minutes.

The Australian centre finished off a fine move which saw Briers's long pass find Mark Forster on the try line before the winger passed it back inside.

Full back Paul Atcheson claimed he had held Pechey up over the line but the video judge ruled in Warrington's favour. Briers missed the conversion.

Hooker Keiron Cunningham got Saints back in the game when he barged over from close after Adam Doyle had given away a penalty for off side. Long's conversion levelled the scores.

Atcheson gave St Helens the lead after 24 minutes when centre Paul Newlove drew three defenders before off loading two metres short of the whitewash. Long missed a simple kick as he strained to see into the sun.

Warrington worked hard to win back the lead but Saints frustrated them as Pechey was held up short by a fine tackle and Mike Eagar twice went close.

Pechey completed an outstanding first half display with a last ditch tackle on Chris Smith as the score stayed at 6-10 until the break.

Briers narrowed the deficit to two points with a penalty kick two minutes after the break.

The good work continued with the try of the match when Wainwright fed Forster and the winger put Pechey through the gap to send Steve McCurrie piling over. Briers missed the kick for a 12-10 lead.

Sculthorpe wrecked the home fans' hopes two minutes later when he scored the simplest of tries, scooping up a loose ball after substitute full back David Highton dropped a Tommy Martyn bomb in front of the posts. Long converted.

The scrum half sped through to score Saints' next try four minutes later after referee Russell Smith failed to spot a forward pass from Sculthorpe to Newlove in the build up. Long also converted.

It went from bad to worse for Warrington when Briers was sin binned for tripping Damien Smith after 56 minutes.

Saints made the advantage pay with quick tries from Chris Joynt and Long, both converted, that killed the game off at 12-36.

Long added another two points after substitute Danny Whittle was penalised for a high tackle and Anthony Sullivan scored try number seven for Saints when he touched down a Martyn bomb in the corner despite pressure from Penny after 73 minutes.

Still the visiting fans at the Railway End continued to chant 'sack the board' after their side had taken a 30 point lead.

Doyle briefly stemmed the tide when he dragged Karle Hammond over the whitewash with him five minutes from the end. Briers converted.

Second rower Vila Matautia scored his first try of the season when he barged Whittle out of the way shortly before the end.

Long' s kick was good to complete a 24 point personal tally for the scrum half. It follows on the heels of the 20 points he scored against Huddersfield last week as the 21-year-old makes the most of Bobbie Goulding's suspension.

Warrington trooped off the pitch wondering where it had all gone wrong after such a promising start.

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