Saints lead 22-12 at half time (From St Helens Star)

Saints lead 22-12 at half time

9:05pm Friday 15th March 2013 in Sport By Mike Critchley

SAINTS lead an entertaining game against Wakefield 22-12 at half time, after crafting four smartly taken tries.

However, they had to come from behind after the visitors surprisingly took an early lead when full back Richie Mathers cashed in on a missed tackle from Jordan Turner to go over after less than three minutes.

Saints hit back with some real quality, with some fine play up the left by Jonny Lomax stretching the Wakefield defence.

Keeping the ball alive, there was somne real hot-potato handling before Jon Wilkin sent Alex Walmsley crashing under the posts for his first Super League try.

Lomax goaled and then raised the roof with a dummy, change of pace and dash to the line, adding the extras himself.

A succession of Wakefield penalties took their toll with Ben Cockayne touching down Kyle Wood’s reverse grubber. Paul Sykes kicked his second goal to level it, but Saints finished the second half with a flourish.

Wilkin’s grubber was missed by the Wakefield defence allowing Turner to zip in for his first on the half hour mark.

And then four minutes before the break Turner crossed after taking a magnificent offload from Francis Meli, who terrorised the left flank.

That gave Saints a 22-12 lead with the only cloud being the sight of James Roby limping down the tunnel on the hooter.

Saints: Lomax; Makinson, Turner, Jones, Meli; Hohaia, Wilkin; Laffranchi, Roby, Walmsley, Manu, Soliola, Walker; Subs: McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Flanagan, Clough, Hand.

Wakefield: Mathers; Fox, Collis, Lyne, Cockayne; Sykes, Wood; Wilkes, Aiton, Amor, Mellars, Mariano, Washbrook. Subs: Smith, Trout, Wildie, Annakin.

Ref: Robert Hicks