SAINTS lifted themselves off the canvass from last week’s World Club hammering by South Sydney to overcome a potential banana skin against Castleford.

The visitors, who had narrowly lost their opening two games, came to Langtree Park quietly confident of securing a first win on St Helens soil since 1992.

And they started brightly, and in a game that was often end to end, the Tigers showed they had plenty of strike out wide.

Saints’ determined defence managed to hold them out for the first 40 minutes – with some old school but were often helped by Cas errors and a 50/50 forward pass going their way.

With full back Jonny Lomax showing some flashes of real dynamism whenever he linked up Saints looked dangerous.

And Lomax was the last pair of hands providing the opportunity for the Saints take the lead with Adam Swift crossed in the corner.

Saints had to do it tough, and a combination of the visitors getting up quick and then slowing down the rucks made it difficult for key midfield weapon James Roby to shine at dummy half.

And the combined effects of an often indifferent kicking game and the physical and mental effects of last week’s game began to take their toll and allowed Tigers to really get their feet under the table.

It was credit to Saints’ defence – most notably Mark Percival on the edge – that the visitors went in pointless at the break.

This was a particular plus point given they had lost Swift to injury, which necessitated moving Percival to wing and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook to the centres.

And to rub their noses in it, Saints hit them on the bell when Travis Burns’ high kick was fumbled.

The Australian’s short ball unleashed the alert Lomax who darted through before looping the pass over for Tommy Makinson to stretch over.

Cas were by no means out of it, but Justin Carney gifted Saints an early Christmas present when under some pressure he opted to throw a long ball – only for Saints centre Josh Jones to pick up and resist the defenders to touch down.

However, this was one of those games hat was likely to turn o an error and so when Atelea Vea dropped the ball in a good attacking position, Cas made it count.

Former Saint Michael Shenton was twice prominent in breaking out from deep, before send Carney over in the corner.

And two minutes later the Australian wing was on his own to collect Luke Gale’s cross kick and the Tigers tails were up, It took a special effort to arrest the Cas momentum, not least because they did so when down to 12 men following the sin-binning of Kyle Amor for what was deemed a dangerous tackle on Jordan Tansey.

That seemed to fire the home crowd and the team up and Saints enjoyed a momentum turning ten minutes while Amor was in the bin.

And 15 minutes from time a good attacking set from Saints culminated in Jones standing up strong in the tackle and getting the ball away for the makeshift wing Percival to jus about get in at corner.

Percival tagged on the goal and then skipper Jon Wilkin slotted a one-pointer to give Saints a three-score cushion.

Cas regained the ball from the short kick off and soon after a dink over the top of the Saints defence yielded a converted try for Tansey.

But with a minute left on the clock, it was always only going to be a consolation on a good night for Saints, all things considered.