ARE holders Saints about to exorcise the Wigan Challenge Cup ghost which has haunted them for 20 years?

For if they come up with the goods on Saturday by causing the Warriors to fall at the first hurdle their loyal fans will feel perfectly justified in declaring: "Not before time!"

For one has to turn the clock back to a murky Sunday at Central Park in February, 1977, for Saints' last RL Cup success over the old enemy..

The Knowsley Road side won that second round tie 9-4 with tries from Les Jones and Billy Benyon while Geoff Pimblett landed a conversion and drop goal before a crowd of 20,386.

Cherry-and-Whites' points came from two goals by George Fairbairn, and the Saints' team was: Pimblett; Jones, Benyon, Cunningham, Mathias; Glynn, K. Gwilliam; D. Chisnall, Liptrot, Courtney, E. Chisnall, Nicholls, Pinner. Substitutes Ashton, Hull.

Present-day chairman Eric Ashton held the coaching reins at Knowsley Road in 1977, and his trump card was man-of-the-match Eddie Cunningham, despite Wigan having switched Kurt Sorenson from the pack to mark him.

Eddie, of course, is the elder brother of Saints' current Great Britain star Keiron - maybe there's an omen - while another brother, Tommy, also played at Knowsley Road as did Eddie's son, Gareth.

Since those dim-and-distant days of 1977 the arch-rivals have clashed 10 times, including a replay, with Saints' tale of woe or Wigan's triumphant march - dependent on your allegiance - reading:

1981/2, first round: Saints 12, Wigan 20. 1983/4, 3rd round: Saints 7, Wigan 16. 1985/86, second round: Wigan 24, Saints 14; 1988/89, Wembley: Wigan 27, Saints 0. 1989/90, semi-final at Old Trafford: Wigan 20, Saints 14.

1990/91, Wembley: Wigan 13, Saints 8. 1991/92, third round: Saints 6, Wigan 13. 1992-93, second round: Wigan 23, Saints 3. 1994/95, 1st round: Wigan 16, Saints 16. Replay Saints 24, Wigan 40.

A study of those statistics reveals that the one-time Riversiders avenged the 1961 and 1966 Wembley defeats by Saints, with their 1989 'whitewash' arguably the blackest day in the Knowsley Road club's history. So it will be seen that Wigan have enjoyed almost total dominance over Saints in Challenge Cup matters in recent times, as indeed they have against every club in the game, with the reward being a record eight successive Wembley triumphs.

That remarkable sequence ended via an epic victory by Salford at the Willows last year, but Wigan's run might have halted versus Saints 12 months earlier if only Bobbie Goulding's drop-goal attempt had not rebounded from a Central Park upright.

However the fact remains that time is long overdue for Saints to wrest the Silk Cut Challenge Cup initiative from Wigan for, playing considerations aside, the cash-strapped club is desperate for the financial boost of a Wembley appearance.

Come to think of it, Wigan are not exactly laughing all the way to the bank these days, which is yet another considerable incentive for all concerned.

Predictably when these Titans clash all the old cliches such as 'tie of the round' and 'would have graced Wembley' are rightly trotted out - I will content myself by adding that another mouthwatering clash is in prospect.

Beyond that it would be foolish to prophesy because making predictions is a dangerous business, and Saints know that nothing less than 80 minutes total concentration will suffice against the Warriors - forget that Norweb Challenge win, this time it's for real!

Wigan's team is: Murray; Robinson, Tuigamala, Connolly, Radlinski; Paul, Edwards; Cowie, Cassidy, O'Connor, Holgate, Lester, Farrell. Substitutes from Wright, Hall, Barrow, A. Johnson, Haughton, Long.

Latest match details are that the original all-ticket ruling has been scrapped so it will be possible to pay at the turnstile. Referee is Russell Smith of Castleford.

A collection will be taken for the schoolboy Wembley fund. The draw for the fifth round will be made live on the BBC Look North programme on Monday at 6.55pm.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.