SAINTS’ unbeaten start to the Super League campaign was brought to a shuddering halt at home to reigning champions Leeds after being punished for an uncharacteristically careless, sloppy performance on a bitterly cold evening.

Too many men in the red vee had off days and Saints were guilty of too many basic errors with the ball with poor execution being surprisingly – given their stinginess so far this term – compounded by mistakes in defence with a couple of poor misses on the line yielding scores.

Errors aside, Saints failed to get a grip of the game even when it appeared falling their way at 14-12 after a nip and tuck first half.

And maybe they were guilty of looking a gift horse in the mouth when, with a two-point lead they opted to run a kickable penalty only to lose it on play two.

Within minutes Leeds were level again before two Ash Handley tries gave the visitors a lead they would not relinquish to send the fans home cold and disappointed.

Saints can have no excuses, but hopefully the experience of tossing a game away through self-inflicted wounds - forced passes, poor last tackle options and a general impatience - will jolt them out of any complacency with a tough trip at Hull KR being followed by Good Friday

Saints started promisingly enough and centre Mark Percival dashed away from deep but was hauled back for an obstruction and moments later Saints were behind.

It was a soft one, too, with Anthony Mullally charging through some unusually Saints defence on the line.

Kallum Watkins made it 6-0 but Saints levelled on 17 minutes when full-back Ben Barba sliced through on the left after initially making the defence hold off.

Danny Richardson slotted the conversion and Saints were now enjoying the lion’s share of territory but could not make that tell on the scoreboard.

Barba was held up on the line and then Tommy Makinson dropped the ball after out-jumping Ryan Hall.

Richardson nudged Saints in front with a penalty and then on the half hour was the architect for Saints’ second.

It was a good one, too, with a kick wide getting a tap back from Adam Swift. The alert Richardson scooped up before going on a touchline-hugging run and then tossing the ball inside for Makinson to supply the final pass to Swift.

Saints looked in control but a loose pass gifted Leeds possession, and with Makinson down in backplay, Leeds took advantage with Joel Moon and Tom Briscoe combining to put scrum-half Richie Myler in two minutes before half time.

Watkins' goal levelled the scores at the break.

The game remained tight and errors stopped Saints from really grabbing the game by the lapels, but they did take a lead on 54 minutes when Carl Ablett was penalised for not playing the ball correctly and Richardson slotted home.

But from there the game unravelled for Saints with Handley running on to from Myler's kick into space.

Barba pulled off a fine tackle on Myler when it looked like Leeds had the numbers, and then Watkins was foiled on the line, taking a knock in the process.

Saints then tried to harass the Leeds attack on the last play, leaving a hole for Moon exploit, breaking before grubber kicking for Handley to touch down for his second.

But with 10 to play, Saints threw it back into the boiling pot when Barba followed up a scintillating break by Welsh winger Regan Grace to score.

Richardson cut the deficit to just two points with his fourth goal and for a moment it looked like Saints were going to pull something out of the bag.

Alas in the next play from the restart, Zeb Taia could not get his hands to Lomax’s pass and the Saints bubble was burst.

Leeds hooker Matt Parcell somehow managed to wriggle free on the line for Leeds fifth try to end the Saints resistance and give them food for thought

St Helens: Barba, Swift, Makinson, Percival, Grace, Lomax, Richardson, Amor, Roby, Thompson, Peyroux, Taia, Wilkin.

Subs: Fages, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Douglas, Lees.

Leeds: Golding, Briscoe, Watkins, Handley, Hall, Moon, Myler, Mullally, Parcell, Singleton, Jones-Buchanan, Ablett, Delaney.

Subs: Walker, Smith, Oledzki, Walters.

Referee: James Child (RFL).