Saints 57 Warrington Wolves 20 SUPER League leaders Saints passed the 50-point mark for the fourth time this seasonm - and scored ten tries without hitting top gear!

Third-placed Warrington failed to live up to pre-match forecasts of tough opposition and, not for the first time in recent seasons at Knowsley Road, were swept aside by a home team totally focused on a Grand Final appearance.

Stop-start though it was, Saints' 11th win in 12 games was more remarkable in that it followed an epic performance at Castleford in midweek, and a second half display in which they scored 36 points spelled capitulation for Warrington, who had enjoyed a week's rest.

However, despite their scoring romp, hard taskmaster Ellery Hanley was not pleased that Saints conceded four tries but, overall, skipper Chris Joynt and his men should once again be congratulated on providing the type of rugby bringing five-figure crowds flocking to Knowsley Road.

Will-o-the-wisp scrum-half Sean Long earned the John Smith's man-of-the-match award with a two-try, eight-goal show, while combative, block-busting winger Chris Smith maintained his current upsurge in form in lifting the Concrete TS accolade.

A word of appreciation is also in order for often-unsung prop Julian O'Neill who - as well as his usual non-stop graft - scored two tries in a game for the first time for the club, while Apollo Perelini, Tommy Martyn, Paul Atcheson, Keiron Cunningham and Paul Newlove were other Saints to sparkle.

The workrate of substitute Tim Jonkers also caught the eye but victory was not without its price, for Saints' Test loose-forward Paul Sculthorpe was carried off with a knee cartilage injury in the 10th minute, and the early prognosis was that 'Scully' could be sidleined for a month.

Wolves roared as early as the first minute when, in perfect conditions, Lee Briers' chip-through deceived Smith and Atcheson for the fast-following Alan Hunte to touch down, but Saints' response was immediate as a carbon-copy kick by Martyn saw Joynt plunge over for Long to convert.

Newlove swept Toa Kohe-Love aside to put Tony Stewart over with Long goaling superbly from touch, only for Warrington to rocket back when Simon Gillies blasted through Kevin Iro's tackle to touch down, and Briers then added a 50-yard penalty to cut Saints' lead to 12-10 after 20 minutes. Newlove took a hand again, this time with a rafter-raising solo try after beating Kohe-Love and Lee Penny, and with Martyn landing a snap drop goal and Cunningham emulating Newlove's earlier heroics, Saints' enjoyed a 21-10 lead at the break.

Smith's 80-yarder after intercepting Jon Roper's pass set Saints on course for a seven-try second half, but a Gary Chambers' try converted by Ian Knott reduced the Wolves arrears to 27-16, before Martyn broke in midfield and veered to the touchline before sending Long over.

A searing 50-yard run by Hunte opened the way for Jason Roach to cross and gave Warrington a semblance of hope, but the score proved to be the Wolves' final fling, as a Saints' side now toying with the opposition took complete control in scoring 24 unanswered points in the last 20 minutes.

Two barnstorming breaks by Smith led to touchdowns by dynamic half-backs Martyn and Long, while Tommy had a big hand in O'Neill's first try, as did substitutes Mark Edmondson and Paul Wellens when the popular New Zealander pierced the Warrington line a second time.

So the weary Wolves were left to lick their wounds as they still await a first-ever Super League victory over Saints, whose start to the season has exceeded all expectations but, as Ellery Hanley has stated, there will be no complacency at Knowsley Road with 18 gruelling games yet to play.

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