'I sing myself to sleep

'A song from the darkest hour...'

Years from now, when those opening lyrics are piped from the radio, pub juke box or drift across a shopping mall, the thoughts of Saints supporters will immediately drift back to the momentous events of Saturday, October 11, 2014.

In the hearts and minds of those fans packed up on the Stretford End that evening James’ Sit Down will forever be the soundtrack to the day Saints upset the odds, beat their fiercest rivals and lifted the Super League crown.

Some of the lyrics to this song could have been penned for Saints and their supporters.

'If I hadn’t seen such riches (Grand Slam of 2006)

I could live with being poor (five consecutive Grand Final losses).

In one tough, absorbing, physically and emotionally draining 80-minute spell Saints swept away all those negative vibes that had lingered all season and there were plenty a lot closer to home than Garry Schofield who had written off Nathan Brown’s boys’ chances .

It also once and for all consigned those five Old Trafford failures to the dust heap of history, and once again reclaimed the place as the Theatre of Dreams rather than the host of recurring nightmares.

It was unfortunate that the national media, which traditionally pays lip service to the 13-man game, chose to focus largely, nay exclusively, on Wigan prop Ben Flower knocking down Lance Hohaia and punching him as he lay on the ground.

But the iconic image of the evening was the sight of skipper Paul Wellens, banging his chest and dropping to his knees at the final hooter.

Wellens’ reaction was understandable – for he along with James Roby and the injured Jon Wilkin, were the only players who had endured those deep scars from consecutive losses.

As tears of joy rolled down the cheeks of chief executive Mike Rush you could see all those bitter memories of five Grand Final losses being washed away – a feeling echoed among players, staff, board and especially the fans.

Saints had not been given a snowball in hell’s chance of winning the Grand Final this year after their bright start to the campaign was derailed by injuries to key players Luke Walsh, Wilkin and Jonny Lomax.

But critics who mocked Saints’ chances and predicted “the most embarrassing and one sided final in Super League history” were made to eat humble pie It won’t go down as a classic game, but Grand Final rings are rarely given out on artistic impression, and factors beyond their control meant Saints had to ‘win ugly’.

Saints, bereft of half backs following Flower’s appalling attack on Hohaia, had a one-man advantage for 78 minutes and slowly ground Wigan down.

But it did not happen automatically, and after the sides had swapped penalties young Wigan wing Joe Burgess nipped in at the corner just before the half time break.

Saints were much more clued up what they needed to do in the second half, with their ball retention and kicking game making sure that they tired out their Wigan counterparts.

But the first score was vital. Fittingly it was a leaving present from Sia Soliola – one of Saints most popular imports for a long while – and he crashed through three would-be tacklers to get the ball down after being teed up perfectly by Harry Sunderland Award winner James Roby.

It gave Saints a toe-hold and the lead for the first time – an advantage that their courageous defence meant that they would never relinquish.

That defensive resolve was illustrated clearly when Wigan’s England back row Liam Farrell tore through almost immediately, only for Tommy Makinson to track back and nail him in the corner.

The 23-year-old wing, playing against his home town club, was probably a fair shout for the man of the match award.

And after Smith pulled what would have been a match levelling goal wide it was Makinson who started the party at the Stretford End – for the confident fans at least.

Skipper Wellens is an outstanding full back – but he is a team player first and foremost – and tagging the word ‘makeshift’ in front of his subsequently adopted positions seems insulting.

There was nothing makeshift about the quality kick that absent scrum half Luke Walsh would have been proud of, which created that score.

Wellens’ chip was perfectly weighted towards the posts, allowing Makinson to attack the ball, see off the challenges of Wigan Matts Bowen and Smith and ground the ball.

When Percival goaled Brown’s men looked home and dry – but the memories of 2011, when Saints looked in a similarly unassailable lead, are burnt deep on the psyche of those that endured it.

Warriors regained the ball from the restart and began to lay siege again, but defensively Saints were switched on and had the resolve to ensure ‘They shall not pass’ was the mantra they adhered to.

This was a win for guts, character and determination, not simply over 80 minutes, but of all those hard rounds that preceded it when it seemed that injuries were going to make a season that had gone up like a dazzling rocket in February come down like a burnt out old stick in the autumn.

Saints wore Steve Prescott warm-up tops ahead of the kick off, and fittingly skipper Wellens was quick to pay tribute to his inspirational predecessor in the number one jersey when shortly after the final hooter he tweeted: @StevePrescott1 taught us that when things get tough you fight and fight and never give up. Huge inspiration to this group of players #COYS