REPORT by

Denis Whittle Featherstone Rovers 24 Saints 56 TIPPED as a tricky hurdle for Saints, this Silk Cut fourth round tie proved anything but for the 10-try Cup holders.

They led 50-0 in as many minutes after a scoring spree against a Rovers side who fielded six teenagers.

Then, in the wake of that awesome display of pace and power, Saints' yet again revealed their Achilles Heel in easing off, with resilient Rovers taking full advantage to match Saints point-for-point in the second half.

Time was when facing Fev at Post Office Road in the bleak midwinter often spelled the end of Cup ambitions but this is no longer the case due mainly to financial constraints and the pit-head seam of talent having dried up.

Conversely, the elements also conspired against Featherstone on Sunday when a perfect pitch - save for that infamous slope - was tailor-made for the superior speed and handling skills of the Knowsley Road side.

This vital advantage was starkly underlined by Saints in the first half when Featherstone paid dearly for choosing to face the slope by trailing 32-0, with any chance of a David v Goliath act consigned to distant memory. Orchestrating this 11th successive Challenge Cup triumph for Saints was scrum-half Bobbie Goulding, who exactly 12 months ago was in the depths of despair following his dismissal against Wigan.

Here it was roses all the way for the red-booted Bobbie, who had a hand in seven tries as well as scoring one, and landed eight goals for good measure - a performance which made man-of-the-match deliberations a formality.

It would be remiss not to give honourable mention of Cup debutants Paul Atcheson, Chris Smith, Brett Goldspink and Paul Sculthorpe, all of whom fitted in well, while the continuing good form of Tommy Martyn after knee surgery was another major plus.

To summarise Saints' opening venture into serious competition it is sufficient to say that it was a satisfactory workout, given the newcomers in the squad - as for the result itself this was another indication of the widening gulf in standards between Super League and the rest of the Rugby League pack. Saints set the scoreboard ticking within five minutes when Karle Hammond sold an outrageous dummy to score, and a clever switch of play then saw Goulding put Martyn over with Bobbie tacking on the goal.

Ex-Halifax star Asa Amone found himself placed on report following a tackle on Atcheson, before that man Goulding struck again with an inch-perfect pass to put Sculthorpe in, and then only a try-saving tackle by Richard Slater on Anthony Sullivan kept Saints lead to 14-0.

Goulding then gave an encore of his earlier duet with Martyn for another six-pointer, and with Apollo Perelini, Ian Pickavance and Julian O'Neill going downhill fast, there was little respite for an overpowered but certainly not overawed Fev.

Indeed stand-off Karl Pratt, centre Richard Newlove (brother of Paul), Amone and rest of the Rovers side were ever willing to move the ball in entertaining manner, but there was no way through and Saints' booked their passage into round five when Hammond and Sculthorpe notched their second tries. Further touchdowns by Goulding, Keiron Cunningham and Chris Joynt - all converted by Goulding - quickly took Saints to the half-century mark on the restart, but any suggestion of an on-going slaughter of the innocents was quickly dispelled via a spirited fightback in the youthful Rovers ranks.

Sparking the revival was Australian substitute Ty Fallins who finished with four goals and a try and the admirable Pratt also crossed the Saints' line twice, while Newlove the Younger stole a match on his celebrated brother in touching down.

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