Saints 58 Bradford Bulls 14 FACED with another 'four-pointer' after the Wigan epic, scintillating Saints duly completed the second half of the Easter double on Monday - and how!
Saints consigned the Bulls to a biggest-ever Super League defeat and gave their points credit a massive fillip, while the heroics at Central Park had a lot to do with a huge15,042 gate - the biggest at Knowsley Road since the Super League clincher with Warrington in 1996.
And boy, did Saints respond to real atmosphere in firing on all cylinders after a slow start, with rejuvenated Tommy Martyn taking the Hartwell man-of-the-match award with an 11-goals-from-12-attempts-plus-try show, while winger Anthony Sullivan scored another hat-trick to boost his tally to 166.
With limpet-like tackling being harnessed to characteristic attacking flair, these are heady days at Knowsley Road, and another feeling of well-being springs from the way in which coach Ellery Hanley has blooded teenagers Paul Wellens, Mark Edmondson and Tim Jonkers, and here again they did him proud.
As did 20-year-old Tony Stewart, who was in the starting line-up because Paul Newlove was suffering from a 'dead' leg, and the Wigan-born centre celebrated with a brace of well-taken tries, and I also thought Sonny Nickle enjoyed a good innings against his former Bradford team-mates.
Ex-Saints' workhorse Bernard Dwyer gave the Bulls a fifth-minute lead with a try converted by Paul Deacon, but Martyn reduced the arrears with a couple of penalties before Deacon landed a similar award to allow Bradford an 8-4 advantage.
Then came a turning point in the game, as Keiron Cunningham's tackle saved a certain six points as Robbie Paul headed for the uprights, and Saints roared down to the other end for grafting prop Julian O'Neill to send Freddie Tuilagi over, and Martyn's goal meant Saints were now in front.
Sean Long and Stewart then engineered Sullivan's first touchdown, and Long's searing break ended in Paul Sculthorpe aqua-planing beneath the Eccleston end posts for Martyn to convert and, trailing 20-8, the second half omens appeared ominous for Bradford.
And so it proved as the floodgates were opened by Stewart, and the procession continued with tries by Martyn (via Cunningham), Stewart again, Jonkers (his first for Saints), and two for 'Sully' to complete his hat-trick seconds before the final hooter.
Sandwiched between all this handling artistry came a Bradford try from St. Helens-born Neil Harmon.
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article