Wolves end longest wait
Widnes proved anything but a happy hunting ground for St Helens as they surrendered their 10-year unbeaten record against Warrington.
Last Updated: 26/02/11 12:02pm
Widnes proved anything but a happy hunting ground for St Helens as they surrendered their 10-year unbeaten record against Warrington.
The Wolves won 25-18 at the Stobart Stadium - a scoreline that flattered St Helens.
The hosts were playing their first game at their new temporary home but may already be pining for Knowsley Road, after a poor display against rivals they are used to beating almost as a matter of course.
Saints had won their last 22 matches between these two clubs but Warrington played like a side for whom history is merely 'bunk'.
They raced into a 6-0 lead after James Graham was penalised for interference and Lee Briers - who has endured more heartbreak from this fixture than anyone since leaving Saints in 1997 - shimmied his way over and Brett Hodgson added the extras.
For 10 minutes St Helens battered away at the Warrington line but the defence was superb - even if the attacks lacked inspiration.
When they regained field position, Warrington scored immediately. Michael Monaghan's 40-20 took them within range and Hodgson slipped a grubber under the posts which Richard Myler touched down.
Wolves were also enjoying what luck was going and when Briers' grubber ricocheted off a defender, it popped straight into the scrum-half's arms for his second try and an 18-0 lead inside 20 minutes.
Alarm-bells
Now it was time for the visitors to demonstrate their defensive prowess.
They survived five consecutive sets defending their line after three penalties and two drop-outs, and Saints' failure to score must have set alarm-bells ringing at half-time.
That was a cacophany after Hodgson scooped a pass off his bootlaces for Louis Anderson to score and then converted for 24-0.
There was still more than half an hour left, but the way Warrington were defending, that lead always looked enough.
Michale Shenton forced his way over under pressure to finish well with 15 minutes remaining, but Briers' drop-goal stretched the lead to 19 points with less than 10 minutes left.
That meant late converted tries from Chris Flannery and Lee Gaskell merely put some respectability on the scoreline for Saints.
In truth they were comprehensively outplayed by a side revelling in their long-awaited revenge.